RIO DE JANEIRO — Mason Finley found himself “kind of numb with nerves” in the finals of the discus Saturday at his first Olympics. He was thinking too much about technique, rather than trusting his training and letting it rip.
The result: He finished 11th among 12 throwers with a heave of 203 feet, 7 inches. Christoph Harting of Germany took the gold medal at 224 feet, 3 inches.
“We were trying some technical things,” said Finley, the Buena Vista product who was sixth in the qualifying rounds Friday. “I don’t really think I had too much of a shot at being on the podium this time. It was kind of experimental. I couldn’t get after it, I guess.”
All throwers got three chances Saturday, and the top eight got three more. Finley remained after he was eliminated to study those who advanced.
“When I sat down after I was done, I started being able to analyze things a lot quicker, thinking, ‘I could have done this,'” Finley said. “Watching the others compete was definitely beneficial, to see how they can turn it up. They were sharp, they were fast, they were on it and I wasn’t aggressive. I was kind of holding back, trying to figure things out technically. I don’t think that’s the time to do that.”
Finley, 25, is at an age when he figures to have another Olympic run in him, if not two. But first he needs sponsorship. He has none, and was competing against the greats of the sport for the first time. He was hoping Saturday’s results would attract a sponsor so he could compete more on their terms.
“I definitely need more meets like this,” Finley said. “I need to get over to Europe to compete more with this caliber of athletes so I’m more comfortable on a stage like this.”
