Matt Denny has been awarded the Betty Cuthbert Award for his Australian record breaking performance at the Australian Championships.
Cover image by Casey Sims courtesy of Athletics Australia. Video footage courtesy of Athletics Australia.
The discus thrower threw 69.35m, a mark that would have won every Olympic Games since the year 2000 with the exception of 2004, where Virgilijus Alekna threw 69.89m.
Denny will have tough competition come Paris with Alekna’s son, Mykolas, breaking the world record today with a throw of 74.35m in a low key meet in Oklahoma, USA. It surpassed the oldest men’s World Record on the books, the 74.08m set by Jurgen Schult in 1986.
WORLD RECORD
The oldest men's world record in athletics has been broken 🔥
Mykolas Alekna has just thrown an astonishing 74.41m in the men's discus 🇱🇹
He takes down Jürgen Schult's mark of 74.08m from 1986 💥pic.twitter.com/3CejuqudpF— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 14, 2024
“The focus of this championships was to try to replicate Paris,” Denny said.
“Knowing that the auto qualifier will probably be about 66m like last year in Budapest, I was trying to replicate that qualifying – rest day – final and trying to do the right things to feel good for the final.”
The practice went to plan, with Denny throwing 66.68m in the qualifying round.
“I just feel so driven for this year. I’ve always been very driven and focused but I know that this year is just something a little bit different and something that is very important for me to take advantage of: the form that I’m in, how old I am, and the opportunity that I have.”
As for the award, Denny noted its significance.
“At the moment, our household is Olympics-filled and we’ve been watching a lot of documentaries about the Olympics. There was one a few weeks ago about Betty Cuthbert and her gold medals. To see just what that meant back then and even now, and that her legacy lives on, I’m particularly proud to receive this award,” Denny said.
“We’re coming into a position in Australian athletics where it’s just becoming so competitive and it’s great to be part of it at this time. It’s great competing at major championships and at meets overseas, but to be able to throw those big distances at home in front of a crowd means so much.
“I’m so proud to receive this award, and I’m grateful for the support of my family, friends, my wife and my coach (Dale Stevenson).”
