ALTHOUGH it’s still four years before the next Winter Olympics, Michael Christian Martinez already has his work cut out for him if he wants to return to the premier stage of figure skating.
Pocholo Veguillas, Philippine Skating Union (PSU) president, explained that a return to the Olympics will require Martinez to work even harder than in his initial foray in the quadrennial meet.
Encouraged by her son’s Olympic debut where he placed 19th overall in Men’s Figure Skating, Martinez’ mother Theresa said they are now aiming for a podium finish - specifically a bronze medal - the next time around in PyeongChang, South Korea.
“Before the (Sochi) Olympics he had to be exposed sa mga judges - kailangan malaman, makilala para mabigyan siya ng tamang judgment. Ngayon kilala na siya, so ang importante ngayon ma-preserve namin yung good condition niya in every tournament he participates in,” Veguillas said.
To maintain his peak form leading to the quadrennial event, the 17-year old phenom has to enter a maximum of four championship tournaments per year, according to the skating official.
When asked if the number is the norm for athletes of Martinez's caliber, Veguillas answered,” No, no, no. That’s super dami talaga," saying competitors from other countries only have to do it once per quarter.
Due to the time he spends on the ice, the teenager has already collected an assortment of sports-related injuries ranging from a blade cut on the thigh to torn ligaments.
“Every time palagi kami nagkakaroon ng injuries - sa knees, sa ankles. There was a time I was skating and I didn’t know fractured na pala yung ankle ko,” Martinez said.
He recalled his worst accident happened in the US, relating, “I suffered whiplash. In the US the ice is very thin, siyempre wala kang aasahan na bumps or anything so when I skated really fast and there was a bump and my head got whiplash. Half of my head and my eyes started to swell,” he recalled.
Despite these mishaps, Martinez eventually qualified for the 2013 Olympics and will once more need the same determination for the next chapter of what many believe to be a promising career.
Aside from having to compete more often in international tournaments, Martinez, being from a tropical country far from the ice skating circuits, has to spend more money than the others just to be able to train and compete.
“He has to be known. He has to be exposed,” Veguillas said.
Contrary to some reports, Veguillas said Martinez has to re-qualify in 2017 if he is to return to the Olympics.
"He’s not automatically qualified for South Korea. Last year, before the Olympics you had two championships to qualify if you’re going to participate. One of them is the Worlds Figure Skating Championships. Hundreds compete there and only the top 24 will be selected to qualify for the Olympics," the PSU head stressed.
“Qualifying in the previous Olympics does not guarantee inclusion in the next Olympics. You have to be in the top 24 in the worlds,” the official added.
Veguillas believes the homegrown Pinoy skater can still compete in his 20s.
“Until 27 siguro, ten more years. Dalawa pang Olympics siguro puede,” he judged.
Thanks in part to his impressive stint in the Olympics, Martinez has received much-needed financial support for him to continue his training.
“Ngayon wala na siyang problema because we already have the support for the next five years,” Veguillas said.
Martinez, who arrived to a hero’s homecoming last Sunday, has again left the country in order to prepare for the upcoming Juniors World Skating Championship in Sofia, Bulgaria from March 13 to 15.
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