MELBOURNE :Australian discus king Matt Denny is chasing his first world championships medal in Tokyo and will do it alongside the man he regards as both the benchmark and a drinking buddy: world record holder Mykolas Alekna.

Denny and the 22-year-old Lithuanian took the sport to new heights with the benefit of tailwinds at an event in Ramona, Oklahoma, in April and will battle again at Tokyo National Stadium this weekend.

"We're vicious competitors and there's banter - but we're not vicious in tongue," Denny told Reuters of his relationship with Alekna.

"He's a good kid. He was very quiet when he first hit the Diamond Leagues (DL), but I’ve brought him out of his shell a bit.

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