Simon Pettersson recorded a new personal best at a discus meeting in Vaxjo ©Getty Images

Sweden's Simon Pettersson set a European lead in men's discus after competing in a rare local meeting in Vaxjo during the coronavirus pandemic.

The discus-only event was made up of a field of athletes predominantly from Vesteinn Hafsteinsson's training group, including Pettersson.

A throw of 66.93 metres in the final round took the Swede to third in the world in 2020 behind Commonwealth Games champion Fedrick Dacres of Jamaica and Colombia's Mauricio Ortega.

Pettersson also recorded a further three throws over the 65m line, with his best throw also a personal best which puts him fourth on the Swedish all-time list, still topped by team mate and world champion Daniel Ståhl.

Speaking to SVT, Pettersson said: "We had very good conditions today, brilliant sun and good wind.

"You lose the wind when you are in an arena, it is difficult to compare with a championship, but you have to do the results to think you can do it. 

"It feels like a step in the right direction, I am happy that it became a personal record."

In the women's event, former European under-23 shot put champion Fanny Roos came out on top with a throw of 52.76m.