Martinez takes 6th in Croatia skates

MANILA, Philippines - Michael Christian Martinez placed fourth in the short program and wound up sixth in the free skate to end up sixth overall in a field of 22 in the 47th Golden Spin of Zagreb in Croatia last week.

Martinez, who copped the silver medal in the Warsaw Cup last month, pooled 204.45 points to finish behind topnotcher Denis Ten of Kazakshtan, who assembled 249.94 points to beat Czech Michal Brezina and Russian Konstantin Menshov, who scored 239.62 and 229.51 points, respectively.

American Grant Hochsten and Moris Kvitelashvili, also of Russia, took the next two spots with 219.82 and 207.77, respectively.

The Golden Spin of Zagreb served as the final event of the ISU Challenger Series, a group of senior-level skating events featuring four main categories – men’s, ladies, pair skating and ice dance.

Martinez, who ranks 26th in the world, clinched his first senior international title championship, also a first for the Philippines, in the 2012 Crystal Skate in Brazov, Romania.

In 2013-2014, Martinez started his season at the 2013 ISU Junior Grand Prix in Latvia where he finished fourth. He later placed third in the Junior Grand Prix in Estonia in Oct. 2013. He also competed at the Nebelhorn Trophy senior level in Germany in Sept. 2013. The Nebelhorn Trophy was the last qualifying event for the 2014 Winter Olympics where Martinez finished seventh overall, thus earning a spot for the Philippines in men’s singles – a first for his country and in Southeast Asia.

In the recent Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Martinez finished 19th.

Inspired by skaters spinning and jumping while shopping with his mother at SM Southmall, Martinez took up figure skating when he was eight. He began training in 2010 in the US and since then his lifelong dream has been to win an Olympic medal. Martinez has garnered over 190 medals and trophies from various international and local competitions.

Through the years, SM and the Philippine Skating Union have conducted several figure skating competitions that have given birth to international champions such as Olympian Michael Christian Martinez. The excellence demonstrated by skaters especially during competitions is a mark of quality that the SM Skating Rink can provide with its world-class venue and facilities. SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc.