Roje Stona (born 26 February 1999) is a Jamaican track and field athlete who competes in the discus throw. He broke the Olympic record to win the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, thus becoming the first Jamaican to be Olympic Champion at a throwing event.[2]
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 26 February 1999 Jamaica | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Discus, Shot put | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Arkansas Razorbacks, Clemson Tigers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Ryan Crouser, Shawn Cobey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | Discus: 70.00 m (Paris, 2024) Shot put: 20.48 m (Boston, 2024) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
He started his secondary school throwing career at Rusea's High School in Hanover, where he won the Class Two boys discus at the Western Championships in 2014.[3][4] He then attended St. Jago High School in Spanish Town, Jamaica.[5] He also attended Clemson University, where in 2022 he earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, and the University of Arkansas.[6][7]
Career
He won gold in the discus at the 2019 NACAC U23 Championships in Mexico.[8] He won silver in the discus at the 2019 NACAC U23 Championships behind compatriot Kai Chang.[9]
He qualified for the final of the discus at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, finishing sixth overall.[10] He was runner-up to Turner Washington in the discus at the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas in June 2023.[11]
He competed in the men’s discus at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest and threw 62.57 metres.[12]
In April 2024, Stona achieved the qualifying mark for the discus at the 2024 Summer Olympics in finishing second at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational, with a personal best distance of 69.05m.[13]
In 2024, he was invited to rookie minicamps by the NFL teams Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints. 6’6″ and 270 pounds, he did not play American Football competitively at college.[14] He won the discus throw at the LA Grand Prix in May 2024 with a throw of 66.93 metres.[15]
In July 2024, he was officially selected for the Jamaican team at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[16]
In the Paris 2024 Olympics, Stona clinched the gold medal in the men's discus throw. He set a new personal best and an Olympic record with a throw of 70.0 meters in the 4th round, surpassing silver medalist Mykolas Alekna, who had broken his father Virgilijus Alekna's 20-year Olympic record just minutes earlier with a throw of 69.97 meters. This victory was the first Olympic gold medal for Jamaica in a throwing event, and the second Olympic medal overall, after Rajindra Campbell’s bronze in the shot put event three days before. It was also Jamaica's first gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.[17][18]
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | CARIFTA Games (U17) | St. George's, Grenada | 2nd | Discus throw (1.5 kg) | 53.12 m |
| World U20 Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 33rd (q) | Discus throw (1.75 kg) | 62.67 m | |
| 2017 | CARIFTA Games (U20) | Willemstad, Curaçao | 1st | Discus throw (1.75 kg) | 66.41 m |
| Pan American U20 Championships | Trujillo, Peru | 4th | Discus throw (1.75 kg) | 58.63 m | |
| 2018 | CARIFTA Games (U20) | Nassau, Bahamas | 1st | Discus throw (1.75 kg) | 63.77 m |
| 2019 | NACAC U23 Championships | Querétaro City, Mexico | 1st | Discus throw | 56.97 m |
| 2021 | NACAC U23 Championships | San José, Costa Rica | 2nd | Discus throw | 61.21 m |
| 2022 | Commonwealth Games | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 6th | Discus throw | 62.15 m |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 19th (q) | Discus throw | 62.67 m |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Paris, France | 1st | Discus throw | 70.00 m (PB)(OR) |
References
External links
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