The Tokyo World Championship saw a very chaotic day yesterday. Torrential rains battered the stadium, forcing organizers to suspend some events and delay others. Athletes could wear any footwear they deemed safe, and the competitions eventually resumed after the closing ceremony, still under harsh conditions. The discus throw wobbled on the edge of cancellation, but magic unfolded when it finally went ahead. Many throwers struggled to find their rhythm, yet a full-time technical sales engineer, Alex Rose, unleashed a staggering 66.96m throw. He clinched bronze and earned his island nation’s first-ever World Championship medal.

“Let’s go! Oh my God!” exclaimed Alex Rose after clinching the discus throw medal for his country. Born and raised in Michigan, Rose has proudly represented his father’s homeland for over 13 years, marking this as his seventh consecutive appearance at the World Championships since Moscow 2013. At one point, he was languishing in fifth place, but in the fifth round, Rose unleashed a colossal 66.96m throw, just shy of his personal best, propelling him into third place behind Mykolas Alekna and Daniel Ståhl. It’s an incredible achievement for the salesman from Samoa, as he won a gold medal in his side hustle.

You might find it hard to believe, but winning medals is just a part-time pursuit for him, an engineer on his off-days, and an athlete whenever competition comes knocking at his door. “I work full-time; this is like a hobby for me on the side. I don’t have sponsors that pay me. I work full-time as a technical sales engineer for Phoenix Contact. I have a sales territory—I’m driving all throughout the Midwest every day—and then training at random gyms in high schools I drive by. This is not the ideal setup, but with Dane at Garage Strength, he knows exactly what type of training I need, and we made it work. Man, it feels good for it to pay off. It’s been a decade with him since we started, so it’s pretty special.” Winning a medal on the global stage had always been his dream, and when he finally achieved it, nothing could make him happier.

“It doesn’t even sound real, honestly. I’m so happy right now,” said the athlete. It was a joyous moment for him, as he not only claimed the first-ever medal for his country but also made his mark on the global stage. When the reporter asked Rose about the torrential rains and challenging conditions, the athlete responded, “Oh man, so we warmed up, did everything, started the meet while it was raining, and then called us back, waited, put us back to the ring, warmed up a little bit, called us back again, to the call room for about an hour, came back out, and they just said we’re going.”

He further added, “The ring was really, really slick. It was tough to throw, but luckily, I live in the Midwest. I grew up in northern Michigan. I’ve chopped ice out of the ring, swept it out. Like, I’m very, very familiar with throwing in a wet circle. And I’m in really, really good form right now. I knew I could challenge for a medal regardless if the circle was wet or anything.”

Before Alex Rose’s historic feat, the only other athlete from Oceania outside of Australia and New Zealand to reach the World Championships podium was Lisa Misipeka of American Samoa, who claimed a bronze in the Women’s hammer throw at Seville, way back in 1999. So, who won the gold and silver? Swedish powerhouse Daniel Stahl won a third discus world title in Tokyo with a huge final-round heave of 70.47m, while the silver went to Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna. Moreover, Rose discussed the achievement and cherished this moment for ages.

Tokyo World Championships medalist creates history with a monumental throw

With three Olympic appearances under his belt, he has claimed nine Oceania championship titles (eight gold) across discus, hammer throw, and shot put, despite living in the US. When asked about his performance, the athlete revealed he was never the favorite to win any medal at the event, “This is one of the greatest moments of my entire life and it’s been 20 years in the making. I was never the favourite.”

He further added, “I didn’t throw 60m until I was out of college, and it’s been a really long road. It is the culmination of so much effort for so many years. I knew I had a big throw in me. I didn’t make a final until I was 30 years old and I almost quit so many times. The last time I was here I failed to make the final. I fell on my face and almost quit the sport. It was awful. To come back here and do what I just did, there is no feeling like it.” The athlete has been representing the Samoan region for years now. Samoa first appeared at the World Championships in Berlin 2009 and has competed in every edition since. Rose was the lone competitor from Samoa in 2013.

Well, it would not be wrong to state that he is one of the best athletes representing the country. After his Tokyo World Championships bronze, he might desire another medal, and who knows, he might as well clinch it at the LA 2028.