All Good Things Come in Threes: Alex Rose Qualifies for Third World Championships Final
Samoan discus thrower Alex Rose has rewritten the history books, qualifying for the World Athletics Championships Discus final for the third consecutive time. Having reached the finals in 2022, 2023, and now 2025, Rose becomes the first Pacific Island athlete to make three finals appearances , they have all come in succession.
In the qualification group A, Alex threw 65.13m in his second attempt to book his spot in the final. Reflecting on his performance, he recalled his last time in the same stadium: “I remember in 2021, when I was out here. I think I threw 61. I didn’t perform as well as I wanted. So right off the bat, I was attacking the throw. I had a 63 mid, so I knew I could set up a big one. Then a second round 65. I was happy with that. Usually that’s pretty safe. But, you know, we have some of the best throwers in history right now in the discus field. Like ten people over 70 or something like that. So, yeah, we’ll have to wait and see. But really, you know, I put my best foot forward.”
Rose will be joined in the final by fellow Oceania athletes Matt Denny (AUS) and Connor Bell (NZL). It marks the second consecutive World Championships where the trio have advanced together a testament to Oceania’s growing presence in the men’s discus. Between them, Rose, Denny, and Bell own 16 of the top all-time throws by Oceania athletes.
This achievement comes at the end of one of the most demanding seasons of Rose’s career. Earlier this year, he and his wife welcomed their second son, Tailua, which brought joy but also disrupted preparations. “Simply put, this has been the most difficult season of my life. I only competed at a couple meets this whole year. Having a newborn in May is not ideal for training — really, it’s the lack of sleep and all the things you need to have to train just kind of aren’t there anymore. So I’ve had to be incredibly flexible. Train super early or super late, and make more sacrifices than I ever have before. So it’s rewarding to come here and do my best in qualifying. It’s as much as I could get. My preparation probably is a little bit different than everyone else in the field.”
For Rose, wearing the Samoan singlet is always about more than sport. “I’m so proud every single time. I just think of my father’s journey, growing up in Samoa, moving out, going overseas, doing odd jobs in the US, and meeting my mom in Michigan. I think about where he came from and try to pay my respects to everything that he did and everyone in the culture who’s been supporting me this whole time.”
You can watch Alex, Matt, and Connor in the Men’s Discus Final
8:10pm Sunday 21st September – Japan Standard Time