Martinez confirms to skate in Shanghai

MANILA, Philippines - Although he’s not fully recovered from a bruised right hip and right ankle, Michael Martinez said it’s all systems go in representing the country in the men’s singles of the World Figure Skating Championships in Shanghai starting with official practice at the Flying Ice Sports Center today.

Martinez, 18, is one of 30 competitors in the men’s singles where 21 countries are represented. The US and Japan are entering three skaters each while Canada, China, the Czech Republic, France and Russia two apiece. The Philippines is one of 14 nations with one participant each. The others are Australia, Belarus, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Competition in the men’s short program will begin at 4:15 p.m. Friday with the top 24 finishers advancing to the freeskate or final round at 5:45 p.m. the next day. The short program will feature a performance of up to 2 minutes, 50 seconds while the limit for freeskate is 4 minutes, 30 seconds +/- 10 seconds. The competition venue is the 17,923-seat Crown Indoor Stadium at the Oriental Sports Center.

Martinez is accompanied in Shanghai by his mother Teresa and Russian coach/choreographer Nikolai Morozov. He will perform to the music of Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninov in the short program and if he qualifies, to the score of The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber in the freeskate. Both routines were arranged by Morozov, a 39-year-old former ice dancer who took Shizuka Arakawa to the 2006 Olympic gold medal and Miki Ando to two world titles.

Martinez sustained hip and ankle bruises from a bad fall during a practice on the rink in Anaheim last Feb. 4. He then flew to Manila to attend the PSA Awards Night and underwent therapy here. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Manuel Pecson of the Asian Hospital ruled out fractures after reviewing Martinez’ MRIs of his hip and ankle. Martinez and his mother went to Beijing for advanced rehab treatment last March 1. They hooked up with Morozov in the Chinese capital. While in Beijing, Martinez was stricken with gastroenteritis and hospitalized for two days.

“Coach Nikolai decided he can compete and Michael will try his best to qualify for the freeskate,” said his mother. “His health and physical condition are not very good. It was unfortunate that he got sick and off the ice for four days as he was hospitalized and given intravenous infusion for two days. But he was able to recover and skate again. After hospitalization, he skated for an hour while fully recovering from taking medicines. His injuries are taken care of by a therapist in Beijing, treating him every single day since skaters like Michael can’t avoid injuries or falling on multi-rotational jumps where they can hurt their ankles, knees, hips and back. He will continuously be treated up to Shanghai.”

Martinez said he’s excited to compete at the World Championships. “My injuries are not completely healed yet but I will try my very best to qualify for the freeskate,” he told The Star in an e-mail. “I’d like to take his opportunity to thank all my supporters and friends. Maraming salamat sa inyong patuloy na suporta.”

Martinez and his mother will return to Manila on March 31 and stay until April 10 then they will proceed to Slovenia where Southeast Asia’s first figure skater to compete in the Winter Olympics is set to defend the title in his last event of the season.

Martinez’ mother said there was no need to request for a therapeutic exception to take steroids from the International Skating Union (ISU) which is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. “They didn’t give him steroid injections,” she said. “It’s not necessary at this time, just normal treatment and medication.” Two weeks before the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, last year, Martinez received an ISU certificate allowing a therapeutic exception and took steroid shots for a swollen left knee.

Martinez’ performance is supported by the SM Group with whom he has a four-year contract to support international competitions, training and medical expenses. SM sports development director C. J. Suarez confirmed that as of yesterday, Martinez will compete at the World Championships.

Martinez hasn’t competed since finishing sixth of 22 at the Golden Spin of Zagreb in Croatia last December. He placed below skaters from the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, US and Russia. The month before, Martinez took second of 15 at the Warsaw Cup in Poland. His best finish was first at the Triglav Trophy in Slovenia in April last year. Other placings last year wee sixth at the Lombardia Trophy in Milan and 10th at the Grand Prix Skate America in Chicago. Martinez wouldn’t have been able to compete in the five international meets without SM’s support.

The Philippines will also be represented by 17-year-old, Swiss-born Alisson Krystle Perticheto in women’s singles at the World Championships. She is among 36 competitors from 27 countries. Japan, Russia and the US are represented by three skaters each.