Former KU thrower Mason Finley advances to Olympic finals in discus
Former Kansas thrower Mason Finley is one step closer to an Olympic medal.
The 25-year-old Finley, who was born in Kansas City and raised in Colorado, took sixth in the discus during Friday’s qualifying round, moving him to the finals set for 8:50 a.m. Saturday at Olympic Stadium.
Finley, who needed to finish in the top 12 to move to advance, earned his spot with a final throw of 208 feet, 11 inches. He’s the first American to advance to the discus finals since 2004.
More history could be ahead of him Saturday, as no U.S. thrower has medaled in the event since 1984.
Finley, who was seeded 13th heading into the event, returned to Lawrence last year to train with his old college coach Andy Kokhanovsky. Finley also wore a KU shirt during the U.S. Olympic Trials last month, where he won with a throw of 208-1.
The discus finals can be viewed Saturday morning on a live stream at NBCOlympics.com.
Jesse Newell: 816-234-4759, @jessenewell
This story was originally published August 12, 2016 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Former KU thrower Mason Finley advances to Olympic finals in discus."