August 7, 2024, was a historic night for Jamaica’s track and field as Roje Stona (25) won Paris 2024 Olympic gold in an epic men’s discus final inside the Stade de France.
- ALSO READ:
- When execution comes together – Julien Alfred
- ‘I Defeated Myself’: Kishane Thompson’s Gold Slip in Epic Paris 2024 Olympic 100m Showdown
In one of the greatest discus finals, the Olympic record was shattered twice as Stona surpassed the mark of 69.97m thrown by Mykolas Alekna in the second round, who supplanted his father, Virgilijus Alekna (69.89m). However, Stona had different plans and, with a mighty heave in the fourth round, he hurled the disc to 70m, killing the competition stone dead.
“It’s a very special night. It’s everything I wanted, but for it to actually happen, it’s a very good feeling, said a beaming Stona.
Belief and Faith: Roje Stona Reflects on His Unbelievable Olympic Triumph
In practice, leading up to the competition, I felt great. So, I believed in myself, and I knew that I had it in me. I just went and released it, no pressure. I was already in the top eight, so I had nothing to lose.”
“I’ve done some things that I didn’t know I was capable of doing. But I believed and had faith, so I was in the moment and I enjoyed it,” said Stona, who finished 19th at the 2023 world championships.
“Jamaica should be proud right now, and they should celebrate. Field events are taking a step in the right direction now. We’re doing good; we’re getting medals.”
Roje Stona’s achievement was monumental on many levels. He is the first non-European to win gold in the men’s discus. It was also his first appearance at the Olympic Games, and he did it in fashion by breaking the Olympic record.
_________________________
Dive into the vibrant track and field conversation – scroll down to leave your comment and stay connected with the Trackalerts Social community! 🎉
- Follow us on Instagram @trackalerts
- Subscribe to our YouTube @trackalertstv
- Follow us on TikTok @trackalerts
- Follow us on X @trackalerts
- Follow us on Threads @trackalerts
- Like us on Facebook @trackalerts
Help us hit 100,000 subscribers on TrackalertsTV! 🌟 Subscribe, like, and share to fuel your track and field passion.