From explosions of wild celebrations to tears and disbelief, the Jamaican throwing community celebrated Roje Stona’s historic and monumental gold medal in the men’s discus throw on Wednesday’s seventh day of track and field competition at the 33rd Olympic Games at Stade de France.

The 25-year-old former Rusea’s High and St Jago High standout threw a lifetime best 70.00m to break the 69.97m Olympic record set in the second round by world record holder Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania.

Alekna, the pre-competition favourite, had broken his father Virgilijus’ 20-year-old record 69.89m mark set at the Athens Games.

Stona, who was one of three Jamaican men to qualify for the final — the others were Ralford Mullings, who finished ninth with 65.61m, and Traves Smikle who was 10th with 64.97m — was winning Jamaica’s second throwing event medal at the Games after Rajindra Campbell had won bronze in the shot put with 22.15m on Saturday.

Veteran throws coach Michael Vassell, the founder of Throws R Us that puts on a series of throws-only meets, said the medals are the result of 25 years of sacrifice and hard work by the throwing community.

“I am glad I planted a seed and was blessed to enjoy the shade,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“There are athletes here who would know Roje and have seen him compete here and they will believe they can get there too,” Vassell added.

The hugely talented Stona is a former high jumper and sprinter who also had dreams of playing basketball.

Neither Marlon Gayle, who coached him at St Jago High, nor Rodrick Myles, who was his first coach at Rusea’s High, was surprised that he created history for Jamaica.

“This was always in the making, this was always a vision and I am happy that Roje finally joined the 70.00m club,” Gayle, who coached Stona for three years, told the Observer.

“His desire exceeded his abilities, but once his body developed he was able to achieve his goals.

“[Stona is] a very humble, focused and hard-working athlete who is very competitive… he would rather show you what he can do rather than talk about it, but he hates losing.”

He said Jamaica’s achievement in the throwing events at the Olympics “was long in coming”.

Gayle added: “The coaches have laid the foundation for this and Roje benefited and now he is in an environment among great throwers like (triple Olympic shot put champion) Ryan Crouser, who is his coach/mentor.”

Myles said they had seen Stona’s talent in physical education classes at Rusea’s. He noted that Stona was a quick learner and after trying the high jump and 100m, he picked up the throws quickly.

“I always thought he was one of the better throwers around, and I am very happy for him,” he said.

Myles has also worked with three other members of the Jamaican Olympic team — high jumper Lamara Distin whom he coached at Rusea’s, as well as 400m hurdler Rushell Clayton and shot-putter Danielle Thomas-Dodd, both of whom he introduced to their respective events while at Frome Technical.

Franz Forde, head coach at Immaculate Conception High, and former national thrower Nadia Alexander-Pompey, currently the head coach at Lindenwood University in the United States, spoke about the impact of Stona’s achievements.

Forde described the feeling as “surreal”. He added: “This gold medal speaks wonders to what the coaches have been trying to do in Jamaica. We have seen it in the World Championships and Commonwealth Games, but this is the first time we are seeing it in the Olympic Games and today we saw history; we saw three young men in the final. Trust me I am just over the moon, I am so happy. There is more to come as we see the potential and promise among the juniors.”

Alexander-Pompey, who competed for Manning’s School and St Hugh’s High where she was coached by Vassell, hailed the expansion of the throws competitions which she said resulted in “more opportunities for the throwers which is what we needed”.

The Commonwealth Games representative added: “It just goes to show that the cussing and fighting of coaches like Mr Vassell, Orville Byfield, Leroy Allison, all the throws coaches that came before the current one, it was worth it.”