Former Jayhawk Mason Finley picks up USA's first medal at World Championships

Mason Finley, who spent three years on Kansas track and field team, took the bronze medal after throwing the discus 68.03 meters at the IAAF World Championships on Saturday in London. The third-place finish earned the United States its first medal of the competition.

The 26-year-old Finley — he took 11th in the 2016 Olympics — was the first American man to medal in discus at the World Championships since 1999. Lithuania’s Andrius Gudzius won gold (69.21 meters), while Sweden’s Daniel Stahl (69.19 meters) earned silver.

Finley, who was born in Kansas City and has trained with KU throwing coach Andy Kokhanovsky, lost 80 pounds in the last five years, which helped him gain the flexibility needed to compete internationally. His sisters, Rebecca and Matia, are teammates on UMKC’s track team.

This story was originally published August 10, 2017 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Former Jayhawk Mason Finley picks up USA's first medal at World Championships."