Filipino figure skater hailed after reaching Sochi final

MANILA, February 14, 2014 (AFP) – Philippine Olympic determine skater Michael Christian Martinez was hailed as a hero on Friday even as a senior sports activities official denied accusations that the government had unsuccessful to aid him.
The 17-calendar year-old, the lone agent of the tropical region at the Sochi Game titles, made heritage after he competent Thursday from the men’s small software for the absolutely free skate on Friday, even with a lot of disadvantages, like currently being pressured to learn his craft on a skating rink in a buying mall.
Regional news stories proposed his relatives had struggled to spend for his instruction and that the govt did not deliver any aid.
But Ricardo Garcia, chairman of the Philippine Sports Fee, mentioned Martinez had received sufficient economic help from the federal government and private donors.
“We are really pleased with his overall performance. For a person who uncovered how to skate in the Philippines, to make it to the finals… it is really astounding,” Garcia advised AFP.
“This is a quite massive concern for us. We have an athlete who is an Olympian who produced it to the last rounds,” he additional.
Some of the country’s wealthiest tycoons had been sponsoring Martinez and the countrywide skating affiliation by no means requested for further money for him, Garcia claimed.
The Philippine Olympic Committee questioned the authorities for $7,200 to go over some of Martinez’s extra costs but this dollars was launched in December, he added.
Speaking just after his general performance at the Iceberg Skating Palace on Friday, Martinez was elated with his performance: “The to start with 50 percent was really fantastic, but halfway however the application I got out of breath, but I did my greatest all the way through. This is the very first time I landed the triple axel in the next fifty percent of the software.”
He is by now searching in direction of the up coming Wintertime Game titles in South Korea.
“If I can get far more aid financially, I’m imagining about the up coming Olympics and receiving a medal there,” he added.
People of social media were being agog about Martinez’s achievements in a activity so alien to his region.
Well-liked director Jose Javier Reyes wrote in a message to Martinez on Twitter: “The medal is immaterial. In the hearts of your countrymen, your feat is more than an Olympic Gold. You Encourage!”
“Was teary eyed when I saw #MichaelChristianMartinez wave his jacket with PHILIPPINES printed on it. He set his heart&soul in his performance,” an additional tweet explained.
Garcia explained the youngster had “the frame of mind of a winner” and would use his time in Sochi “as a stepping stone to acquire much more experience for the next Olympics”.