World medallist Alex Rose ready to light up Polynesian Games

Alex Rose has thrown on the world stage. Now he’s coming to New Zealand.

Just months after making history in Tokyo, the Sāmoan discus star is set to headline next month’s Polynesian Games in Auckland.

It will be his first competition in New Zealand this year and one he says carries special weight.

“Our culture is strong and [we] can compete with anyone in the world,” he tells Tuilagi William Leolahi on Pacific Huddle.

The 33-year-old became the first Sāmoan athlete to win a medal at the at the World Championships in Tokyo last September when he claimed a bronze medal.

It was a breakthrough moment not just for Rose but for Sāmoa and the wider Pacific sporting community.

Now with the Polynesian Games returning after a decade, Rose says performing in front of a strong Pacific crowd at Trusts Arena from 5-8 March will be just as powerful.

He said the difference between competing overseas and in front of Polynesian fans is huge.

“In a lot of competitions around the world there aren’t a lot of Polynesians, there aren’t a lot of members of the pacific in the crowd that are recognisable.

Alex Rose. Photo/Instagram

“So for me to be competing with Sāmoa on my jersey and to see some Polynesians and Sāmoans, you know people from the pacific in the crowd, it makes such a big difference.

“I feel like I’m representing something that people are so passionate about in person and I just can’t wait, I’m very excited.”

Rose’s Tokyo medal has shifted his mindset. What once felt like a distant goal is now something he has already achieved and wants again.

Training in his garage gym in the United States, Rose keeps reminders of that moment close.

“I have a flag on the wall and I have a poster of myself with a flag around my back and the medal around my neck,” he said.

“Now I can see it on the wall, what I need to do and what to achieve again. So it’s extremely motivating when you think about what it’s all for.”

While based in the US, Rose’s impact stretches back to Sāmoa. Through social media, he shares training clips and technical tips, aware that young athletes back home are watching.

“I post a video, an athlete or young up-and-comer in Sāmoa can see it that same day and, you know, may be motivated or learn something from the technique.”

His decision to represent Sāmoa and not the United States has always been clear in his mind: “I'm throwing for Sāmoa because I want to prove that our culture is strong, and can compete with anyone in the world.”

Under the leadership of Ah Chong Sam Chong, the Director of Sāmoa Athletics, Rose will be among several overseas-based athletes travelling to Auckland for the Games, adding international experience to the local stage.

Listen to Alex Rose's full interview below

The Polynesian Games, from 5-8 March, mark a long-awaited revival for the regional event.

For Pacific athletes and fans alike, it is more than competition, it is connection. For Rose, the message is simple. The medal in Tokyo proved Sāmoa belongs at the top. Now, in front of a Pacific crowd, he wants to show it again.

For more details on the Polynesian Games, click here.