RAMONA, Okla. (AP) — Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania broke a world record in the discus throw that had stood since 1986 on Sunday at the Oklahoma Throws Series competition.
Alekna's throw of 243 feet, 11 inches (74.35 meters) eclipsed the mark of 243 feet (74.08 meters) set by German athlete Jurgen Schult on June 6, 1986. Alekna's throw was originally measured at 244-1 (74.41) but later revised, according to World Athletics. The record is subject to ratification.
World Athletics said Schult's mark, set when he represented East Germany, had been the longest-standing men's world record in track and field.
The 21-year-old Alekna, a junior at the University of California, is a two-time medalist at the world outdoor championships. He captured a silver medal at the 2022 worlds in Oregon and bronze last summer in Hungary.
His big throw bumped his father, Virgilijus, to third on the all-time list for discus. Virgilijus Alekna, a two-time Olympic champion, recorded a best of 242-4 (73.88) in 2000.
Mykolas Alekna's big day comes a day after Cuba's Yaimé Perez recorded the longest women's discus throw since 1989 at 239-9 (73.09).
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
FILE - Silver medalist Mykolas Alekna, of Lithuania, celebrates during a medal ceremony for the discus throw at the World Athletics Championships, July 20, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. Alekna broke a world record in the discus throw that had stood since 1986 on Sunday, April 14, 2024, at the Oklahoma Throws Series competition. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Lawmakers in Colombia on Wednesday once again blocked President Gustavo Petro's efforts to overhaul the country’s labor laws, this time by rejecting a referendum that would have asked voters whether workdays should be limited to eight hours and whether workers should receive double pay if they work during holidays.
Petro asked Congress earlier this month to approve the 12-question referendum to give voters a chance to decide on the changes that lawmakers themselves had already rejected twice. He had warned lawmakers against blocking the referendum, saying before thousands of people gathered for a Labor Day demonstration on May 1 that if they did not approve it, Colombians would punish them at the polls during the 2026 legislative elections.
After an intense debate Wednesday, 49 senators voted against the measure and 47 in favor.
Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, characterized the vote as fraudulent. He has repeatedly accused lawmakers of blocking his social initiatives and ignoring the demands of Colombians.
Had lawmakers approved the referendum, voters would have answered questions such as whether daytime workdays should end at 6 p.m. and whether open-ended contracts should be offered to workers to prioritize job stability.
In a rarely used maneuver, a group of congressmen on Wednesday successfully appealed the March dismissal of Petro's proposed labor reform. The move allows lawmakers to again debate his proposals and potentially approve them. Lawmakers face a June 20 deadline to do so.
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Opposition Senators Paloma Valencia, left, and Maria Fernanda Cabal celebrate after voting against a labor reform referendum proposed by the government, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Opposition senators celebrate after voting against a labor reform referendum proposed by the government, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, left, and Labor Minister Antonio Sanguino gesture during a discussion on a referendum proposal on labor reform, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti reacts after senators voted against a labor reform referendum proposed by the government, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Opposition senators celebrate after voting against a labor reform referendum proposed by the government, in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)