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| Michael Martinez said that he is ready to move on from competitive figure skating but he is excited at what the Philippine Winter Olympic team could shape up in two years. PSC |
MANILA--For the first time in a long while, champion figure skater Michael Martinez made a surprise public appearance on Sunday night when he performed in a special program called "Carols on Ice" at the SM Mall of Asia Ice Skating Rink in Pasay.
In the said program, which serves as a fundraiser for Philippine figure skaters' pursuit of excellence, especially on the road to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Martinez, Skye Chua, and some other top skaters from Metro Manila and Cebu City performed top hits from various Hollywood pop sensations.
It was Martinez's first known appearance since he guested last year in the defunct GMA show "Hearts on Ice" starring Ashley Ortega, herself a champion figure skater in real life.
So what is up now with the modern-day trailblazer of Philippine winter sports?
"Most importantly, we got him back to coach. He has been coaching with the Philippines for the past two years, and we look forward to the next athlete that he produces for the Philippines," Nikki Cheng, the president of the Philippine Skating Union, said.
She then broke the big news: "As an athlete, retired na siya, and he's coaching the next breed of Philippine athletes."
When Dugout Philippines asked for a confirmation from Martinez himself, he said, "I just think I wanted to really share or give all the knowledge and everything to my students, and I think it's time for that."
While two-time Summer Olympics gymnastics king Carlos Yulo already expressed intent of running it back in Los Angeles in 2028, when he turns 28, Martinez essentially confirmed his retirement as an Olympian--at least for now--at age 28.
"I'm getting old and my bones are hurting," Martinez jokingly explained.
Turning serious, though, he said that the COVID-19 pandemic somehow impacted his decision to shift to full-time coaching.
"It literally affected a lot in setting up a lot for myself, business, and other stuff, and I had to put a hold on them," Martinez said, baring that he was training in Russia supposedly in his gear-up for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing when the lockdown was ordered in many countries.
"I told myself, 'I don't think it's worth it anymore to continue.' Wala, sayang."
He even said that he only had a very short time to prepare for his Carols on Ice routine.
"Honestly, yesterday lang ako nag-practice," Martinez bared.
However, he clarified that he could consider making one more run in 2026.
"We'll never know. I might come back, but my main focus is on the next generation. I feel like it's their time," Martinez further said.
He added, though, that he might need to be in a rush if he wants to rack up enough points to make it to Milan like participating in as many competitions with Winter Olympic bearing as possible next year.
Whether he makes it back to the Winter Olympics or not, though, Martinez is excited at the growth of the Philippine team to the said quadrennial meet.
From Martinez being a one-man army in the Philippines' return to the Winter Olympics in 2014, there could be a chance that the national team will have a huge contingent in Milan with the likes of Sofia Frank in figure skating, Peter Groseclose in speed skating, and the Philippine curling team on track of making it.
"I'm very very excited for them, and hopefully, more and more get to compete in the Winter Olympics," Martinez said.
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