Receives hero’s welcome in LAX
LOS ANGELES – Arriving in Southern California on March 1, Filipino figure skater and Olympian Christian Martinez is now back on the ice.
After a hectic and grueling month (beginning in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia) of making numerous public appearances, attending hero’s parades and making trips to the Philippine Senate, Martinez is back to where he belongs — gliding on ice.
“I just feel excited to step on the ice already. I just feel so excited to jump already,” Martinez said to Steve Angeles of ABS-CBN News.
The young skater is already working with his coach, former US Olympian Scott Wedland. Martinez and Wedland are preparing for the upcoming World Junior Figure Skating Championships which will take place next week, (March 10-16) in Bulgaria.
However, with barely enough rest from his stint in the Olympics, lack of practice and ongoing injuries, Martinez is contemplating if he should pull out from the world championships.
The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is seen as the Pinoy skater’s first step towards qualifying for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
In 2013, Martinez finished 5th place in the competition.
“It’s too short,” Martinez said, referring to the time he has to prepare for this year’s world championships.
Martinez said that while other competitors have had months to prepare for the tiff in Bulgaria, he only has 10 days to practice for the event.
“He is battling some injuries, and not having enough time to train at this point. So we’re going to see how he’s doing, [in] preparing for the Junior Worlds,” Wedland said to ABS-CBN News.
“We have to make that decision right now, to see where he’s at, to see if he’s competitive or not. I know he was fifth last year in Junior Worlds,” he added.
If Martinez does decide to go to Bulgaria, he believes his growing number of supporters will give him the boost of confidence that he needs, to stay strong on the ice.
Hero’s welcome
On Saturday, Martinez received a hero’s welcome upon his arrival at the Los Angeles International Airport. It was a nice surprise for the soft-spoken Olympian, as his adoptive family from Southern California came to greet him at LAX.
Martinez said to ABS-CBN News that he wasn’t expecting anything because he failed to make the cut in Sochi.
“I got 19th place so I did not expect the warmth of the Filipino people to greet me. So it feels so great,” Martinez said to ABS-CBN News.
Aside from family and friends, the figure skater was also greeted by Hollywood filmmakers and artists, who were in Los Angeles for the Academy Awards. The production team of 20 Feet From Stardom posed for photos with Martinez, to celebrate his return to California.
20 Feet From Stardom, a film about back up vocalists who tour with big-name singers, went on to win an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
Since his rise to prominence as the first Filipino to compete in the Winter Olympics, Martinez started receiving financial support from various sectors.
World champion boxer and Philippine congressman Manny Pacquiao even expressed his support for the 17-year-old in a House Resolution, calling to honor and recognize Martinez’ s accomplishment.
“We appreciate it very much, we appreciate it very much,” Michael’s mother, Theresa Martinez, said to ABS-CBN News.
The figure skater said that “it looks so better” now that there are more people giving him financial support.
“Now I can train more,” Martinez said.
(With reports from ABS-CBN News)
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Weekend March 8-11, 2014 Sec A pg.1)
