Croydon Harriers athlete throws 65.93m at the Novuna UK Athletics Champs in Birmingham on Saturday to beat a CBP that has survived since 1985

Lawrence Okoye broke a 40-year-old championships record to win the men’s discus with 65.93m.

Okoye beat the 65.72m thrown by Cuban guest Juan Martinez at the 1985 AAA Championships at Crystal Palace. Contrary to stadium announcements, though, Okoye didn’t manage to break the stadium record, which is held by Kristjan Ceh of Slovenia with 71.27m from the Diamond League in Birmingham in 2022.

Okoye put together a great series – 62.41m, 65.93m, 64.25m, 64.50m, 64.52m, 64.83m – to seal selection for the World Championships in Tokyo in September.

“It didn’t quite come together today,” he said, “but when it does the distance will be scary. I’m hoping to produce my best at the World Champs.”

Okoye started the season by improving his British record to 70.76m in Ramona.

He added: "I am actually really happy as I rarely perform well at the UK Championships. This is my best result at this event by a long way. It felt nice to be able to do that in front of a home crowd. There is quite a lot still to come, because I didn’t quite get it altogether out there, but I’m encouraged with where it is going.

"I have been seeing massive throws in training and I am starting to produce more of them in competition. My ceiling is higher this season, so it is up to me to produce when it counts.

"The British crowd is the best in the world. Everyone says it on the circuit. I am just really happy that I have two back-to-back comps in the UK. London was awesome and this was also brilliant. I am looking forward to Euros in this stadium next year."

Runner-up in Birmingham, Nick Percy, threw 58.95m, just ahead of third-placed Zane Duquemin, but Percy will also go to Tokyo as he has already beaten the 67.50m qualifying standard with 67.86m earlier this summer.

Percy said: "I am disappointed with the distance but today was about doing the job having already got the standard. I had to come in the top two, so that ticked the box. Job is done, so it is back to work, so we do better than that in Tokyo."

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Elsewhere, the men’s high jump gold went jointly to Divine Duruaku of Harrow AC and Charlie Husbands of Birchfield as they both cleared 2.14m, with bronze medallist Kimani Jack of Shaftesbury also clearing the same height.

Alessandro Schenini took gold in the men's long jump with 7.85m ahead of Archie Yeo (7.81m) and Samuel Ebonine (7.80m).

Scott Lincoln remains unbeaten in the UK outdoor championships since 2014 and he successfully defended his shot crown on Saturday when he threw a best of 20.77m to win by well over two metres from Patrick Swann’s 18.15m.

Uniquely, this was the shot putter's 11th national title in a row.

More articles about the Novuna UK Athletics Champs here.