POC names 3 Filipino Winter Youth Olympians

MANILA, Philippines – Three Filipino athletes will be competing in the upcoming Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon, South Korea later this month.

In a Facebook post, Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino named the three athletes — Peter Groseclose, Avery Balbanida and Laetaz Rabe.

Groseclose will be competing in the short track speed skating event of the Olympics.

Balbanida, meanwhile, will be seeing action in cross country, while Rabe will represent the Philippines in freestyle slopestyle and freestyle big air.

“The Philippines may be a tropical country, the Olympic spirit knows no boundaries. It transcends climates, uniting us in the pursuit of excellence and the celebration of the human potential,” Tolentino said.

“Our athletes are testaments to this Olympic spirit. They have defied limitations and embraced the challenge of competing in winter sports, demonstrating the Filipino determination,” he added.

The Winter Youth Olympics will be held from January 19 to February 1, with a record 1,900 athletes taking part.

This is up from the 1,788 participants at Lausanne 2020, according to the Olympics website.

This is the Philippines' third participation in the Winter Youth Olympics. The country earlier participated in 2012 and 2020.