Laulauga Tausaga

Laulauga Tausaga
Personal information
NicknameLagi Tausaga[1]
Born (1998-05-22) 22 May 1998 (age 26)
Hawaii, U.S.
Home townSpring Valley, San Diego County, California, United States
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)Discus throw
Shot Put
Hammer
College teamUniversity of Iowa
ClubChula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing the  United States
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Budapest Discus throw
NACAC Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Freeport Discus
NACAC U23 Championships in Athletics
Silver medal – second place 2019 Queretaro Discus
Pan American U20 Athletics Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Trujillo Discus

Laulauga Tausaga-Collins (born 22 May 1998 in Hawaii) is an American discus thrower. With a personal best throw of 69.49 m, she won the gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.[2] She also won the gold medal at the 2022 NACAC Championships.

Professional

Tausaga made the women's discus final at 2019 and 2022 world championships, won silver medals in discus at the 2019 match and 2019 NACAC U-23 Championships. Tausaga won discus at 2017 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships.

She won the gold medal at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest with a fifth throw of 69.49 m that raised her personal best by more than four metres, after finishing 12 and last in the discus final at the previous two world athletics championships.[2]

She failed to qualify for the 2024 US Olympic team by fouling all three of her attempts.

International

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  United States
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 1st Discus 69.49 m (227 ft 11+3⁄4 in)
2022 2022 NACAC Championships Freeport, Bahamas 1st Discus 63.18 m (207 ft 3+1⁄4 in)
World Championships Eugene, United States 12th Discus 56.47 m (185 ft 3 in)
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar 12th Discus 63.94 m (209 ft 9+1⁄4 in)
The Match Europe v USA Minsk, Belarus 2nd Discus 63.71 m (209 ft 1⁄4 in)
2019 NACAC U23 Championships in Athletics Queretaro, Mexico 2nd Discus 59.37 m (194 ft 9+1⁄4 in)
2017 2017 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships Trujillo, Peru 1st Discus 59.29 m (194 ft 6+1⁄4 in)

USA National championships

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2017 USATF U20 Outdoor Championships Sacramento, California 1st Discus 60.65 m (198 ft 11+3⁄4 in)
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 17th Discus Foul
2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Des Moines, Iowa 15th Shot put 15.55 m (51 ft 0 in)
3rd Discus 60.65 m (198 ft 11+3⁄4 in)
2019 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Des Moines, Iowa 3rd Discus 62.08 m (203 ft 8 in)
2021 United States Olympic trials Eugene, Oregon 24th Discus Foul
2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Eugene, Oregon 2nd Discus 64.49 m (211 ft 6+3⁄4 in)
2024 United States Olympic trials Eugene, Oregon 24th Discus Foul

University of Iowa

Laulauga Tausaga-Collins is a 2019 NCAA Discus champion, 8-time NCAA Division 1 All-American, 6-time Big Ten Conference champion, & 12-time All-Big Ten Conference scorer.

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing University of Iowa
2017 Big Ten Conference
Indoor Track and Field Championship 		SPIRE Institute
Indoor Track & Field Facility 		16th Shot put 14.12 m (46 ft 3+3⁄4 in)
Big Ten Conference
Outdoor Track and Field Championship 		Penn State Nittany Lions
Outdoor Track & Field Facility 		14th Shot put 14.45 m (47 ft 4+3⁄4 in)
1st Discus 55.00 m (180 ft 5+1⁄4 in)
2017 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships University of Oregon 7th Discus 55.71 m (182 ft 9+1⁄4 in)
2018 Big Ten Conference
Indoor Track and Field Championship 		SPIRE Institute
Indoor Track & Field Facility 		11th Shot put 15.51 m (50 ft 10+1⁄2 in)
8th Weight throw 20.03 m (65 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Big Ten Conference
Outdoor Track and Field Championship 		Billy Hayes Track
Outdoor Track & Field Facility 		1st Shot put 16.80 m (55 ft 1+1⁄4 in)
1st Discus 58.39 m (191 ft 6+3⁄4 in)
2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships University of Oregon 4th Discus 56.07 m (183 ft 11+1⁄4 in)
4th Shot put 17.34 m (56 ft 10+1⁄2 in)
2019 Big Ten Conference
Indoor Track and Field Championship 		Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus
Indoor Track & Field Facility[3] 		2nd Shot put 17.79 m (58 ft 4+1⁄4 in)
24th Weight throw Foul
2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships Birmingham CrossPlex
Indoor Track & Field Facility 		15th Shot put 15.84 m (51 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
5th Weight throw 22.23 m (72 ft 11 in)
Mt SAC Relays Mt SAC Relays
Outdoor Track & Field Facility 		1st Hammer throw 61.34 m (201 ft 2+3⁄4 in)
Beach Invitational Long Beach State
Outdoor Track & Field Facility 		1st Shot put 18.02 m (59 ft 1+1⁄4 in)
Big Ten Conference
Outdoor Track and Field Championship 		Iowa Hawkeyes Track
Outdoor Track & Field Facility 		3rd Shot put 17.17 m (56 ft 3+3⁄4 in)
7th Hammer throw 60.91 m (199 ft 10 in)
1st Discus 60.28 m (197 ft 9 in)
2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships University of Texas 1st Discus 63.26 m (207 ft 6+1⁄2 in)
25th Shot put 16.17 m (53 ft 1⁄2 in)
2020 Big Ten Conference
Indoor Track and Field Championship 		SPIRE Institute
Indoor Track & Field Facility 		2nd Shot put 17.37 m (56 ft 11+3⁄4 in)
1st Weight throw 22.21 m (72 ft 10+1⁄4 in)
2021 Big Ten Conference
Outdoor Track and Field Championship 		Illinois Fighting Illini Track
Outdoor Track & Field Facility 		5th Shot put 17.52 m (57 ft 5+3⁄4 in)
1st Discus 62.09 m (203 ft 8+1⁄4 in)
2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships University of Oregon 2nd Discus 63.53 m (208 ft 5 in)
6th Shot put 17.29 m (56 ft 8+1⁄2 in)

[4]

Prep

Tausaga won 2014 CIF San Diego Section Shot put title in 13.53 m (44 ft 4+1⁄2 in) and 2015 CIF San Diego Section Shot put title in 14.71 m (48 ft 3 in) while representing Mount Miguel High School. At the 2015 CIF California State Meet, she placed 3rd in the shot put 14.61 m (47 ft 11 in).

References

  1. ^ Lagi Tausaga's World Championship Journey Iowa Hawkeyes
  2. ^ a b "'All the feels': USA's Laulauga Tausaga obliterates PB for shock discus gold". The Guardian. Reuters. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  3. ^ Stephen M. Ross Athletics South Competition and Performance Center Opened in 2017Michigan Wolverines
  4. ^ LAULAUGA TAUSAGA (SR-4) IOWA Track and Field Results Reporting System
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Laulauga Tausaga.