MANILA, Philippines - Fresh from his performance in the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Olympian Michael Martinez plunges back into action against the world’s leading junior skaters in the World Junior Figure Skating Championships beginning Monday in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The World Juniors, for 13-19 years old, is one of the most prestigious figure skating events sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU) with the Filipino bet hoping to ride the momentum of his impressive performance in Sochi that made him a worldwide sensation.
Throughout history, top skaters have competed and won in this renowned tournament, including the likes of Martinez’s coach and Olympic gold medallist Ilia Kulik, Russia’s Evgeni Plushenko, the United States’ Kristi Yamaguchi, and 2014 Olympic champions Yuzuru Hanyu and Adelina Sotnikova.
Martinez will compete in the Junior men’s singles category and will face off bets from 38 countries from around the world, including Asian countries like China, Malaysia, South Korea and Taipei. Martinez, who placed fifth in last year’s World Juniors in Milan, Italy, will render a performance under the short program qualifying round where he hopes to finish in the top 24 to clinch a berth in the free skate round.
“Depending on the results of the (World Juniors) competition, we will decide on whether Michael will participate in the World Juniors or World Seniors next season,†said his mother Maria Teresa Martinez.
In the 2012 Crystal Skate in Romania, Martinez clinched his first senior international title championship, also a first for the Philippines. In 2013 to 2014, Martinez started his season in the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Latvia where he finished fourth. He later placed third in the Junior Grand Prix in Estonia in 2013 and competed in the Nebelhorn Trophy senior level in Germany last September.
The Nebelhorn Trophy was the last qualifying event for the Sochi Olympics Martinez finished seventh overall, thus earning a spot for the Philippines in men’s singles, becoming the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to compete in the quadrennial games.
Martinez is training under celebrated coaches and figure skaters Ilia Kulik and John Nicks. A Russian figure skater who began skating at the age of five, Kulik is the 1998 Olympic champion, the 1995 European champion, the 1997–1998 Grand Prix Final champion, and the 1995 World Junior champion.
Nicks, on the other hand, is a figure skating coach and former pair skater. With his sister Jennifer, Nicks was the 1953 World Figure Skating champion. As a coach, his skating pupils have included American figure skaters Peggy Fleming, pairs team Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, Yamaguchi and Sasha Cohen.
“They are the best coaches I’ve had so far, and I’ve had many. For instance, Ilia is very thorough in showing me all the techniques. He even talks and spins in mid-air while executing a triple so he can show me where my hands should be and how my body should be positioned. He is an amazing skater,†said the young Martinez.