Men’s Discus Dominance to be on Display at 2026 Prefontaine Classic

Ståhl, Stona & Alekna bring World & Olympic Titles and World Record to Hayward Field

The Men's Discus at the 2026 Prefontaine Classic brings together the most dominant collection of throwers in the history of the event. The reigning World Champion, reigning Olympic Champion, and world record holder will test the boundaries at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. Daniel Ståhl, Rojé Stona, and Mykolas Alekna all have personal bests past 70.00m and will be looking to break the Hayward Field record of 71.13m (233' 4").

Daniel Ståhl (Sweden) is the reigning and three-time World Champion. At last year's World Championships in Tokyo, he secured victory with a final throw of 70.47m (231' 2.5") at the National Stadium — the same venue where he claimed Olympic gold at the 2020 Games. Ståhl has won 13 Diamond League competitions, including three Diamond League Final titles (2016, 2019, and 2021). His 2023 World Championship win in Budapest also came on a final throw, a dramatic moment that earned him the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal, Sweden's top annual sports achievement honor. This will be his fourth appearance at Hayward Field. His best throw in Eugene is 68.59m (225’ 0.5”), set at last year's Pre Classic. His career best of 71.89m (235’ 10.5”) — the Swedish national record — came on home soil at the Bottnaryaskastet meeting in 2019.

Rojé Stona (Jamaica)won the Paris Olympic Games for Jamaica’s first-ever gold medal in a throwing event. Stona’s fourth round throw in the Olympic final reached an even 70.00m (229’ 8”) to set a new Olympic record in the event. Stona participated in the 2022 and 2021 NCAA Championships at Hayward Field, representing Clemson University. He also competed for the University of Arkansas and was the NCAA runner-up in 2023. Despite not playing football in college, Stona was invited to rookie minicamps by the National Football League’s Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints in 2024. At last year’s Prefontaine Classic, Stona finished fourth with a throw of 65.62m (215’ 3.5”). In April, Rojé set a new personal best with a throw of 70.66 (231’ 10”) in Oklahoma.

Mykolas Alekna (Lithuania)is the world record holder and reigning Prefontaine Classic champion. In 2023, at a collegiate meet representing the University of California, Berkeley, Alekna became the youngest thrower to ever reach 70.00m. A year later, in Ramona, Oklahoma, Mykolas would rewrite history with a hurl of 74.35m (243’ 11”) to break the world record for the first time in 38 years. Back in Ramona last year, Alekna would break his own world record with his first throw and then do it again with his fourth throw in the series. His world record mark now sits at 75.56m (247’ 10”). Mykolas owns three of the four furthest throws in history and is the only man to go past 75.00m. He is the silver medal winner from the Paris Olympic Games and a six-time event winner in the Diamond League. Alekna transferred to the University of Oregon last summer; however suffered a pectoral muscle injury earlier this year that has kept him from competing so far during the Ducks’ outdoor season.

The Prefontaine Classic will take place on Friday, July 3rd, and Saturday, July 4th, 2026. 

As a Diamond Discipline event, the Men’s Discus Throw, is scheduled for Saturday, July 4th.

The tentative event schedule windows for each day of competition are: Friday, 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. / Saturday, 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Tickets, VIP Experience Packages, and Accommodations packages are now on sale.

Those interested in volunteering at The Prefontaine Classic can learn more here.