Former Chippewa Keeps Shooting his Shot, Will Again Represent Samoa in the Olympics

Third time's a charm?

Alex Rose certainly hopes so.

Rose, a former Central Michigan track & field standout, will represent Samoa in the Olympic Games, which open on Friday in Paris.

It will be the third Olympics for the West Branch native, who competed at CMU from 2010-14 and is now in his 10^th year as an international competitor in the discus.

He is permitted, under Olympic rules, to represent Samoa because his father is a native of that country, which is located approximately 2,500 miles south of Hawaii and has a population of 222,000.

"I think in Rio, in 2016, I felt like I was just lucky to be there," said Rose, who also competed in Tokyo in 2020. "I remember hitting the Olympic standard of 65 meters very close to the end of the qualifying window and kind of just barely scraping in. I wasn't one of the favorites, I wasn't one who was ranked very highly and I just kind of hit at the right time to be able to go.

"I probably won't be as nervous as my first time around, for sure, but every single Olympics is a unique and incredible experience."

Rose will be among 36 throwers in the field, a typical number at Olympic or any international competition. The top 12 advance and then the final eight move on to the finals.

Rose did not make the finals in either of his two previous Olympic appearances. He did make the finals in each of the past two World Championships, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon, and 2023 in Budapest.

"I'm very determined and I'm very confident about my chances in Paris," he said. "Over the past three years I've seen a drastic shift in how I compete and my preparedness going into these meets."

Rose is currently ranked ninth in the world and he threw a personal best 71.48 meters earlier this year. That 71.48 is the second longest by any thrower in the world in 2024 and is the 11^th longest in history.

"One big thing that I've learned over the past decade, and it's made a huge difference, is consistency," said Rose. "(Previously) I probably thought of consistency in terms of weeks or months, but now I look at what my development has been over the Olympic quad, or the last four years. 'Have I made those technical changes that I've sought to modify? Have I gotten more mobile? Have I gotten the discus to move in certain X-Y-Z ways?'"

At 32 and with two Olympics under his belt, Rose's career arch is typical for a discus thrower. Most of the best hit their stride after age 30.

"I think it's due to the complex technical nature of throwing," he said. "There are so many elements to the technique and feeling the event that it can take years and years to truly understand and feel how to throw far.

"Once you figure it out, it seems like riding a bike in a sense. At least it did for me. It's interesting to see how really grinding and trusting the training for the last eight years and using the weight room can have huge effects on your performance. I think I've become more patient and as a result I think I can throw more consistently and a lot farther."

Rose is a technical sales engineer for an electronics company who spends a lot of time traveling for work throughout Michigan and Northern Indiana. He and his wife, Samantha, have a 21-month-old son, Aleki, which is Samoan for Alex.

A career that requires frequent travel has its pitfalls for a world-class athlete. At home in Grand Rapids, Rose trains at either Grand Valley State or Calvin College. When he's on the road, he seeks out nearby high school facilities.

"I'll look at google maps to find the nearest ring or circle that I can sneak into and toss for the day," he said. "Google maps satellite view is my best friend."

Rose said that growth and maturity through marriage, fatherhood, a high-pressure career, and international competition have helped get him to where he is on the eve of his third Olympiad: a legit contender.

"As a parent and as a husband you're under a lot of stress, all the time," he said. "Things are in constant motion and you have to problem solve. I think my experience as an international competitor and constantly having to deal with stresses of travel and bumps in the road have given me the tools to be a good dad and I'll forever be thankful for that.

"I've been to over 30 countries now because of track and field. It's an opportunity that I haven't taken for granted. I've been able to learn a lot of things about different cultures and people that guide me towards teaching Aleki in the best way possible."

Whether there is a finals appearance or even (gulp) a medal in the future – immediate or further down the road – Rose said he can't see the end, yet, to his throwing career.

"Every year I've asked myself the same (retirement) question and lately it seems like I keep surprising myself," he said. "I've been crawling upwards. I really think I have a shot at being the first Pacific Islander to make an Olympic final in track & field. That would be really cool.

"It's tough for me to consider stopping when I keep making such consistent progress. It would be great to be able to shoot for things like the world record one day, or becoming the first medalist (from Samoa) regardless if that's another Olympics or the World Championships. I think I'm going to keep shooting my shot."

Former Chippewa Keeps Shooting his Shot, Will Again Represent Samoa in the Olympics

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