Central Michigan University Athletics
Track & Field Alum Alex Rose Makes Pacific Olympic History, Competes in Olympic Finals
8/8/2024 12:14:00 PM | General, Track & Field, Our Stories
Alex Rose (Instagram)Oceana National Olympics Committee (Instagram)Olympics Preview: Alex Rose Interview
Rose becomes first Pacific Islander in 68 years to qualify for Discus Throw Final
PARIS, France — History for Alex Rose.
In July, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Rose confided in himself in an interview with Central Michigan Athletics.
"I really think I have a shot at being the first Pacific Islander (in 68 years) to make an Olympic final," said the CMU Track and Field alum. "I think that would be really cool."
The three-time Olympian did just that on Monday at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Rose launched a mark of 62.88m in his group, competing with New Zealand's Connor Bell –who also threw 62.88m—for the sixth and final spot in the finals.
Rose's throw bested Bell's by one centimeter.
Before Rose, Fiji's Mesulame Rakuro was the last Pacific Islander to have made an Olympic final, having made the final in the Discus throw in 1956. Rakuro finished 15th.
Rose competed in the final on Wednesday, where he finished 12th place overall with a 61.89m mark.
It was the third time the Team Samoa representative had been to the Olympics, having competed in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020, but the first time he had made it to the final stage.
Rose, who resides in Grand Rapids, competed on the Chippewa Track and Field team from 2010 to 2014. Under Olympic rules, because his father is a native of Samoa, Rose is eligible to represent the country.
Earlier this year, Rose threw a personal-best 71.48 meters, the second-longest 2024 throw worldwide and 11th-longest in history.
"To me this validates every sacrifice I have made for the last decade or more," Rose wrote in a heartfelt post on Instagram. "… Every competition I spent away from my wife and son wondering if what I was doing was worth it. Every single second counted- because every single centimeter counted."
In July, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Rose confided in himself in an interview with Central Michigan Athletics.
"I really think I have a shot at being the first Pacific Islander (in 68 years) to make an Olympic final," said the CMU Track and Field alum. "I think that would be really cool."
The three-time Olympian did just that on Monday at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Rose launched a mark of 62.88m in his group, competing with New Zealand's Connor Bell –who also threw 62.88m—for the sixth and final spot in the finals.
Rose's throw bested Bell's by one centimeter.
Before Rose, Fiji's Mesulame Rakuro was the last Pacific Islander to have made an Olympic final, having made the final in the Discus throw in 1956. Rakuro finished 15th.
Rose competed in the final on Wednesday, where he finished 12th place overall with a 61.89m mark.
It was the third time the Team Samoa representative had been to the Olympics, having competed in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020, but the first time he had made it to the final stage.
Rose, who resides in Grand Rapids, competed on the Chippewa Track and Field team from 2010 to 2014. Under Olympic rules, because his father is a native of Samoa, Rose is eligible to represent the country.
Earlier this year, Rose threw a personal-best 71.48 meters, the second-longest 2024 throw worldwide and 11th-longest in history.
"To me this validates every sacrifice I have made for the last decade or more," Rose wrote in a heartfelt post on Instagram. "… Every competition I spent away from my wife and son wondering if what I was doing was worth it. Every single second counted- because every single centimeter counted."
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