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Alex Rose (athlete)

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Alex Rose
Personal information
Born (1991-11-17) 17 November 1991 (age 33)
West Branch, Michigan, U.S.
EducationCentral Michigan University
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight280 lb (127 kg)
Sport
Country Samoa
SportTrack and field
Event(s)
Discus throw, shot put, hammer throw
College teamCentral Michigan Chippewas[1]
Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing  Samoa
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2025 Tokyo Discus throw
Pacific Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Port Moresby Discus
Silver medal – second place 2015 Port Moresby Shot Put
Silver medal – second place 2015 Port Moresby Hammer
Oceania Championships
Gold medal – first place 2012 Cairns Discus
Gold medal – first place 2012 Cairns Hammer
Gold medal – first place 2013 Papeete Shot Put
Gold medal – first place 2013 Papeete Discus
Gold medal – first place 2013 Papeete Hammer
Gold medal – first place 2015 Cairns Shot Put
Gold medal – first place 2015 Cairns Discus
Silver medal – second place 2015 Cairns Hammer
Gold medal – first place 2017 Suva Discus
Updated on 21 September 2025

Alexander Melei Rose (born 17 November 1991) is a Samoan and American athlete, competing in the discus throw.[2] He won a bronze medal at the 2025 World Championships, becoming the first Samoan to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships.[3] He represented Samoa at the 2016,[4] 2020,[5] and 2024[6] Summer Olympics.

Life

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Although born in the United States, Rose holds dual citizenship with Samoa, since his father was born there and emigrated to the US as a 19-year-old.[7] He threw for Central Michigan University.[1]

He represented Samoa in the 2013 World Championships in Athletics[8] and the 2015 World Championships in Athletics,[9] failing to qualify for the final on both occasions. He's had great success at the Oceania Athletics Championships, with eight gold medals and a silver in three different throwing events—Discus, Shot Put & Hammer Throw—over four different games from 2021 to 2017.

At the 2022 World Athletics Championships he made the final, coming 8th in the world.[10] Rose competed for Samoa at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where he finished 4th with a best throw of 64.56 m, just 2 cm off third place.[11][12]

His personal best in the discus was 66.91 metres (Claremont, California, 19 July 2019), until he improved his national record to 67.4 8m at the University of Arizona on 22 May 2021, and then, in 2023, Rose threw 70.39 m at the Oklahoma Throws Series on 16 April 2023, setting a new Oceania Area Record.

At the 2024 Olympics he became the first Pacific islander to make it to an Olympic track and field final.[13]

Rose won the bronze medal with a throw of 66.96m at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.[14] It was Samoas first ever medal at a World Championship event.[14]

Competition record

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Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing the  United States
2010 World Junior Championships Moncton, Canada 22nd (q) Discus throw (1.75 kg) 53.46 m
Representing  Samoa
2012 Oceania Championships Cairns, Australia 1st Discus throw 56.29 m
1st Hammer throw 51.10 m
2013 Oceania Championships Papeete, French Polynesia 1st Shot put 17.22 m
1st Discus throw 56.05 m
1st Hammer throw 55.49 m
Universiade Kazan, Russia 7th Discus throw 58.64 m
World Championships Moscow, Russia 29th (q) Discus throw 56.19 m
2015 Oceania Championships Cairns, Australia 1st Shot put 16.89 m
1st Discus throw 60.95 m
2nd Hammer throw 53.29 m
Pacific Games Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea 2nd Shot put 16.58 m
1st Discus throw 56.40 m
2nd Hammer throw 58.66 m
World Championships Beijing, China 25th (q) Discus throw 59.07 m
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 29th (q) Discus throw 57.24 m
2017 Oceania Championships Suva, Fiji 1st Discus throw 61.12m CR
World Championships London, United Kingdom 19th (q) Discus throw 61.62 m
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 8th Discus throw 59.56 m
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar 21st (q) Discus throw 61.80 m
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 18th (q) Discus throw 61.72 m
2022 World Championships Eugene, United States 8th Discus throw 65.57 m
Commonwealth Games Birmingham, England 4th Discus throw 64.56 m
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 12th Discus throw 61.69 m
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 12th Discus throw 61.89 m
2025 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 3rd Discus throw 66.96 m

Personal bests

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Outdoor

  • Shot put – 17.22 (Papeete 2013)
  • Discus throw – 71.48 (Allendale, Michigan 2024) NR, AR
  • Hammer throw – 58.66 (Port Moresby 2015) NR

Indoor

  • Shot put – 17.75 (Bowling Green 2011)
  • Weight throw – 19.73 (Chicago 2016) NR

References

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  1. ^ a b "Alex Rose Bio :: Central Michigan Men's Track :: CMUChippewas.COM :: The Official Site of Central Michigan Athletics". cmuchippewas.com. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  2. ^ Alex Rose at World Athletics Edit this at Wikidata
  3. ^ "World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25: Alex Rose claims Samoa's first global athletics medal in delayed discus". Olympics.com. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  4. ^ "IAAF: Discus Throw Summary – The XXXI Olympic Games – iaaf.org". iaaf.org. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  5. ^ "Athletics ROSE Alex". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 12 August 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Samoa's discus thrower first Pacific Islander to make an Olympic track and field final". RNZ. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  7. ^ Patti Brehler (25 August 2015). "A local champion has Olympic dreams". Omegaw Voice. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Discus Throw Men – Qualification" (PDF). IAAF. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Discus Throw Men – Qualification" (PDF). IAAF. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  10. ^ Gutu Faasau (22 July 2022). "Samoan discuss thrower makes history in Oregon". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  11. ^ Gutu Faasau (13 July 2022). "SASNOC announces Team Samoa for Commonwealth Games". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Team Samoa for Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham Announced". Samoa Global News. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Samoa's discus thrower first Pacific Islander to make an Olympic track and field final". RNZ. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  14. ^ a b Ståhl leaves it late to win discus gold in delayed final Reuters. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
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