Matthew Denny nearly set a new discus throw world record at the Oklahoma Throws Series in Ramona

Four days after achieving a personal best by surpassing the 70-metre mark for the first time, Australian discus thrower Matthew Denny nearly set a new world record at the Oklahoma Throws Series held in Ramona.

The Olympic bronze medalist competed at the same venue where Mykolas Alekna established the world record last year, and where Matthew Denny himself recorded a throw of 72.07m the previous weekend. In this competition, he successfully threw beyond the 70-metre line on all six attempts, with three competitors exceeding 70 metres and six surpassing 68 metres.

Matthew Denny began with a throw of 71.03m, followed by a personal best of 73.46m in the second round. His most impressive throw came in the third round, where his discus reached an Oceanian record of 74.25m, just 10cm short of Alekna’s world record, elevating Denny to second place on the all-time world list.

He concluded his series with throws measuring 72.93m, 71.14m, and 73.56m. The second place was claimed by the American athlete Sam Mattis with a throw of 70.08m, narrowly edging out Germany’s Mika Sosna by three centimetres.

In the women’s discus event, Alida van Daalen (Netherlands) secured victory with a throw of 65.11m.

Matthew Denny is scheduled to compete again in Ramona on Sunday, where he will face world record-holder Mykolas Alekna. The women’s event will feature two-time Olympic champion Valarie Allman as the main contender.