Philippine ice Figure Skater, Michael Martinez, Qualifies for the next Round in Sochi Olympics
First Figure skater from Southeast Asia, Michael Martinez, Qualifies for the next Round in Sochi Olympics
Sochi, Russia – The first ever figure skater from southeast asia and the lone athlete from the Philippines, Michael Martinez, wowed the judges and qualified for the next round of the men’s figure skating event at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia on Thursday.
Despite his young age (actually he is the youngest among all competitors), Michael was able to achieve a remarkable performance with his signatured triple axel and triple loop attempt. He showed how flexible he can be in the skating rink. Michael gave his best in front of more than 12,000 people who cheered on him. Right after his performance, one of the commentators said that Michael Martinez did a very good job inside the ice skating rink.
17-year-old Martinez, who hails from Muntinlupa, earned a total score of 64.81 points allowing him to be part of the the top 24 competitors who will move to the next level of the figure skating competition.
Michael continues to earn more support from Filipinos upon learning that his momĀ had to mortgage their own house to finance his expenses at the Sochi Olympics. According to reports, they tried to reach the Philippine government, including the President’s office, but they failed to receive any response.
Meanwhile, Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan grabbed the newest world record with a score of 101.45 followed by by the three-time world champion Patrick Chan of Canada who garnered an overall score of 97.52.