Gerd Kanter claimed the gold and the scalp that he has craved for years, when he won the Men’s Discus at the World Championships tonight and ended the longest current winning streak in the sport.

Virgilijus Alekna had not been beaten since the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, some 37 events ago, but here it soon became apparent that the Lithuanian giant was struggling with some sort of injury.

So badly affected was double World and Olympic gold medallist that he will leave Osaka with no medal at all, as Kanter, of Estonia, won the gold with his third-round 68.94m, with Germany’s Robert Harting in silver medal position with 66.68 and Dutchman Rutger Smith, who had led after the second round, finished third with 66.42.

Alekna’s best was 65.24, good enough for only fourth.

Harting, the young German who has ambitions to win this title in Berlin in two years’ time, put the defeat of Alekna into context: “I’d never thought it would be possible to place ahead of Alekna.

“But when I saw that Alekna had still not managed 70m by the third attempt, I realised that he had problems with his leg or knee.”

Indeed, the whole competition was somewhat muted; at times, it appeared that the throwers were deliberately peppering the 65m line in a contest for accuracy, rather than distance.

Kanter took the first-round lead with 64.89, which Smith overtook in round two with 65.98, as Harting – second after round one – maintained his position with 65.59. Kanter, though he improved his best effort to 65.37, was now just third.

Though Hungary’s Gabor Mate looked like he might play a role, having thrown 64.28 in the first and 64.71 in the third round, this really was a four-way tussle, with the imposing figure of Alekna lurking, everyone waiting for him to make his big heave.

It never came, though. “Finally, I lost. There is nothing I can do. Life goes on,” said the Lithuanian, explaining that he had injured his calf just a week ago.

It was Kanter in the third round who re-took the lead, when Alekna managed at last to go beyond 65m.

There would be but two more significant throws in the last three rounds: Harting’s 66.68 in round five, which saw him pip Smith for silver, and Kanter’s and the competition’s very last throw, 68.84, the second best of the final.

“Technically it was not the best day,” Kanter explained, “but there is big tension and you cannot release the discus in such a big arena at 100 per cent.”

This is only Kanter’s second victory over Alekna in 46 meetings, and he paid tribute to his great rival. “Virgilijus is the best discus thrower ever and he has inspired me a lot in recent years.”

But, with Estonia’s second ever World Championship gold medal, Kanter is determined to enjoy the moment.  “There will be a big party today, it is my day.”

Osaka 2007 News Team/sd