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[av_heading heading=’Martinez back in Winter Olympics’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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January 26, 2018
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MANILA – Philippine figure skater Michael Christian Martinez is making a return trip to the Winter Olympics this year.
A Swedish athlete backed out, allowing Martinez to earn a slot in the Feb. 9 to 25 competitions at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium in South Korea, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) said.
“I was pretty shocked,” Martinez said in an interview. “I rushed to the rink and told my coach. We’re all super happy about it.”
Martinez nearly missed a second consecutive Winter Olympics stint after falling short twice in two qualifying tournaments last year.
In the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki, Finland last April, he was sidelined when Japan was allowed to add another skater after having two qualifiers in the top 13.
He also placed eighth in the CS Nebelhorn Trophy at the Eissportzentrum in Oberstdorf, Germany. Only the top seven were qualified to slots in the Pyeongchang Games.
But this meant Martinez was the first alternative in case an athlete withdraws.
Martinez will be the second Philippine representative in the upcoming Winter Games aside from Asa Miller, who will compete in the slalom ski event.
The Filipino figure skater placed 19th in the 2014 Sochi Games. Last year, he also won two silver medals in the Southeast Asian Games./PN
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