For the first time since 1968, a former Lion has competed for Team USA in the Olympics. Texas A&M University-Commerce alumnus Joseph Brown competed in the discus throw early this morning at the Summer Olympics in Paris. The last former Lion to play for Team USA was John Carlos in 1968.
Brown competed in the qualifying round of the discus throw and finished 22nd overall among 32 competitors. Brown threw the discus 61.68 meters. Only the top 12 advanced to the medal round. No members of Team USA advanced in the men’s discus event. Brown finished third among the three Team USA men in this morning’s qualifiers.
Brown won the 2019 NCAA national championship for the Lions. Brown came into the Olympics with a personal best of 67.92 meters. Last year, he finished fifth in the discus at the Pan American Games.
Brown is the second Lion to compete at the Olympics in Paris this year. Mariana Shostak ran the anchor leg for Team Ukraine's mixed 400 meter relay team on Friday. Shostak finished 14th in the preliminary round with a time of 3:15.51.
There’s one A&M-Commerce Lion yet to compete in this year’s games. Ibrahim Fuseini races for Team Ghana later this week in the men's 4x100 meter relay.
