Discus World Records Spark Controversy Over “Weather Doping” in Oklahoma
A wave of jaw-dropping discus throws at a meet in Ramona, Oklahoma, has reignited a different kind of doping debate—this time, not about substances, but about the wind.
On Sunday at the Continental Tour Bronze event, Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna shattered his own world record by becoming the first man ever to throw beyond 75 meters. The 22-year-old Olympic silver medalist launched the discus an astonishing 75.56 meters, eclipsing his previous best of 74.35m set at the same venue last year. He also surpassed that earlier mark with his first throw of the day, which measured 74.89m.
He wasn’t the only one throwing big. Australia’s Matthew Denny recorded a personal best of 74.78m — a distance that would have been a world record just 24 hours earlier. In total, five men broke the 70-meter mark, a feat never before seen at a single competition.
In the women’s event, American Valarie Allman also made headlines by throwing 73.52 meters — the longest throw by a woman in 36 years and a new U.S. national record.
But not everyone is celebrating. Critics across Scandinavia — including respected coaches, commentators, and former athletes — are raising serious concerns that the competition’s remarkable results may have been artificially inflated by environmental conditions, a phenomenon some are now calling “weather doping.”
Unlike track events and long jumps, which have rules limiting wind assistance for record eligibility, discus throw has no such restrictions. And Millican Field in Ramona, where the event was held, is known for its favorable setup. The facility includes several throwing circles designed to allow athletes to fully exploit prevailing wind directions — a feature that’s drawing criticism.
“It’s hard to know whether to laugh or cry,” said Swedish commentator Mats Wennerholm. “It just becomes ridiculous when world records are being set in gale-force winds. Weather doping should be added to the banned list.”
Staffan Jonsson, coach to Swedish Olympic champion Daniel Stahl, agreed. “It’s a completely different sport when you throw with that kind of wind.”
Norwegian Olympic legend Vebjorn Rodal, now a broadcaster, added: “The wind was wild. This venue is clearly sought after to throw far — and now we’re seeing why.”
Despite the backlash, officials at the Norwegian Athletics Federation said the results would be ratified, noting that there’s no existing rule to disqualify wind-aided discus throws. “It’s difficult to measure wind assistance in the same way as you do for sprints or jumps,” said federation spokesperson Thor Gjesdal. “Changing the rules now would be complicated.”
World Athletics has yet to issue an official response to the growing calls for reform.
For now, Alekna’s record will stand — but the debate over whether conditions at Millican Field give athletes an unfair edge is only heating up.
