Christian Cheh thought he had done enough. On the penultimate throw of the discus final, the Slovenian hit a giant throw of more than 70 metres. Swede Daniel Stahl still has the last word.
The classy and entertaining discus finals swung around several times. Ceh made contact at the start but Ståhl took the lead on lap four. Between them, Lithuanian superstar talent Mikulas Alekna threatened the narrow duo with numerous long arcs.
It all culminated in the final two shots of the contest. Christian Seah mustered a final effort and scored the first throw of the contest over 70 meters to take the lead.
Daniel Stahl’s response was immediate. On the final throw of the final, he clinched it with a stunning throw of 71.46 – just 40cm away from his own Swedish record and the new championship record.
-It’s absolutely magical. It is sports psychology in every sense of the word. I got a kick out of it when Christian threw a 70.02. I thought I shouldn’t give up. I have to focus a thousand percent and make big movements and just take it off. Everything just fits. “It’s so adorable,” Stahl says, “and he just spontaneously bursts into laughter.”
Full of laughter
Ståhl reveals that it took a few nerve-wracking seconds before he dared to claim victory.
– I didn’t see how far it was. I tried checking it out on the big screen. When the results came out I thought: “Damn, this has been long.”
The 30-year-old Swede was full of laughter in the interview area. He seemed to have a hard time believing he was able to pull off one of the longest throws of his career when the stakes were so high.
-I was very proud when I saw the result. He was the best of the year by a centimeter, Stahl says, and laughs until he weighs almost twice his weight.
Third heavyweight title
Gold in Budapest is Daniel Stahl’s third major title. He won Olympic gold in Tokyo 2021 and World Cup gold in Doha 2019. The battle for future discus gold is likely to be fierce in the future as well.
Stahl is well aware of this, but he accepts the challenge with open arms.
-Christian Cheah is a wonderful man. He excelled in many competitions, throwing throws ranging between 69 and 71 metres. He’s an unbelievable pitcher and will be tough to beat in future tournaments, says Staal and continues:
– What happens in discus throw is incredible. Everyone throws away. Five men threw more than 70 meters and ten men threw more than 68 meters this summer. It’s unimaginable.
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