Olympic skater Michael Christian Martinez arrived in Manila on February 23 after an exciting stint at the recently concluded Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
There was no trace of jetlag on the 17-year old’s face after the long 30-hour flight and was all-smiles as he waved to the adoring crowd during the press conference held at the SM Mall of Asia.
Michael finished 19th out of 30 participants which included one of his idols, three-time world champion Patrick Chan of Canada. “I felt like I was dreaming,” Michael said when asked what he felt when he met the Canadian figure skater who bagged a silver medal.
Accompanied by his mother, Maria Teresa Martinez, Michael expressed his deep gratitude for the support of his family, mentor and sponsors. He was awarded with a $10,000 cheque from the SM Foundation by SM Prime Holdings , Inc. president, Mr. Hans Sy, and was also given a Lifetime Skating Privilege, which gives him free access to all of SM’s ice skating rinks.
He also talked briefly about his Olympic experience and what we can expect in the 2018 Olympics to be held at Pyeongchang, South Korea:
Question: What do you do on your free time?
Martinez: Me and my mother usually go out and watch movies. I watch anime by myself, do origami, and usually do some stretching.
Are you ready for another 4 years of intense training?
I’m ready for it. The experience I gained from the Olympics taught me a lot on what I need to do to improve my skating skills.
Which ice skating moves best describes your personality?
That would be the triple Axel because it takes a lot of strength and determination to execute. You have to gather all your strength in that one jump, one of the hardest jumps that only a few skaters can do.
How do you think the figure skaters can improve? How do you think you can help?
I can teach them the basics – how to do the jumps, the triple jumps, the technique.
What kind of preparation are you doing for the next Olympics? Are you planning to train abroad?
I’ll continue training with [Viktor] Kudryavtsev, my Russian coach because he taught me how to make my triple jumps consistent.
What are the reactions of other athletes when they found out you were from the Philippines?
They were really surprised. Some of them said “You have ice skating rinks in the Philippines?” and I said ‘Yes, of course!” The top skaters and the Canadian world champion [Patrick Chan] congratulated me when I made it to the Olympics. I was so happy because I didn’t expect that he would congratulate me.
What was going through your mind as you were executing your free program? How did you feel when you fell?
When I was performing, I was just thinking I’m doing this for God, I’m doing this for my family, I’m doing this for my mother, I’m doing this for the country. When I fell, I thought “No, this can’t be. I have to push harder.” That’s why I was able to land the second hardest jump, the triple axel, in the second half of the program.
Have you and your coach discussed what points to stress and what weaknesses to address?
We already started training for the quadruple jumps. We are still working on it and we’re getting there.
The young athlete also delivered a short speech and expressed his pride in being a Filipino athlete:
“I may be the first who have made it to the Winter Olympics but I’m not the first to represent our country on the world stage. I’m extremely happy with the hero’s welcome but let us not forget all our other athletes and heroes. Therefore, I share this honor and glory with other Filipino athletes. Mabuhay ang mga Pilipino! Mabuhay ang mga atleta!”
Michael will be leaving by February 27 for the US to do training then he’s off to Bulgaria to compete in the Junior World Championships on March 13 to 15.
