Michael Christian Martinez

Michael Christian Martinez (born November 4, 1996) is a Filipino Olympic figure skater. He is the 2015 Asian Figure Skating Trophy champion, a two-time Triglav Trophy champion and has won one ISU Challenger Series medal, silver at the 2014 Warsaw Cup. Martinez is the first skater from Southeast Asia and from a tropical country to qualify for the Olympics, was the only athlete to represent the Philippines at the 2014 Winter Olympics, and was one of only two to represent the Philippines at the 2018 Winter Olympics.[2]

Michael Christian Martinez
Martinez in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Michael Christian Martinez
Country represented	Philippines
Born	(1996-11-04) November 4, 1996 Parañaque, Philippines
Home town	Muntinlupa, Philippines
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Coach	Vyacheslav Zahorodnyuk
Former coach	Igor Samohin Ilia Kulik Peter Kongkasem Maria Teresa Martinez John Nicks Viktor Kudriavtsev
Choreographer	Philip Mills
Former choreographer	Nikolai Morozov Justin Dillon
Skating club	Metro ISC
Training locations	Lake Forest, California
Former training locations	Hackensack, New Jersey Metro Manila, Philippines
Began skating	2005
World standing	94 (As of May 2018)[1]
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	220.36 2015 Cup of China
Short program	74.45 2014 CS Golden Spin
Free skate	148.12 2015 Cup of China
Medal record Representing  Philippines Men's Figure skating Asian Trophy 2015 Bangkok Men's singles Southeast Asian Games 2017 Kuala Lumpur Men's singles

Early life

Martinez was born on November 4, 1996, in Parañaque,[3] the youngest of three children.[4] He began experiencing asthmatic bronchitis at two months old and was frequently in the hospital.[3] Although a cold rink initially had a detrimental effect, he stated in 2014 that, "year after year my health keeps improving, so my mother fully supported me to continue skating. She said it's better to spend the money on skating than in the hospital."[5] Martinez graduated from high school in 2013.[6]

Career

Early years

Martinez began skating in 2005 at the SM Southmall ice rink.[7] In 2009, he missed two months after a skating blade cut his thigh.[3] In addition to training in Manila, in 2010 he began spending several months a year in California, United States working with John Nicks and Ilia Kulik.[5][8]

Martinez debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) series in the 2010–11 season. In 2011, he tore two ligaments in his ankle, leading to three months of recovery.[3] In April 2012, he tore a medial ligament in his knee and was off the ice for three months.[3][8]

2012–13 season: First senior international title

Martinez landed his first triple Axel jump in competition at a 2012 JGP event in Lake Placid, New York.[8] He placed 6th at a JGP competition in Zagreb, Croatia.

At the 2012 Crystal Skate of Romania, Martinez won his first senior international title, also a first for the Philippines. He finished fifth in his second appearance at the 2013 World Junior Figure Skating Championships and set a new personal-best overall score of 191.64 points. A fractured ankle kept him off the ice for two months in 2013.[3]

2013–14 season: Sochi Olympics

Martinez executing a Biellmann spin at the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy

Martinez started his season at the 2013 JGP Latvia where he finished 4th. He then competed on the senior level at the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy, the last qualifying event for the 2014 Winter Olympics. He finished 7th and earned a spot for the Philippines in men's singles — a first for his country.[9] Martinez then competed at the 2013 JGP Estonia and won his first JGP medal, a bronze. In January 2014, he received treatment for an inflamed knee.[10] He withdrew from the 2014 Four Continents Championships but competed at Skate Helena and took the gold medal.

The first skater in the Winter Olympics to come from Southeast Asia, Martinez was also the only athlete representing the Philippines at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and served as his country's flagbearer at the opening ceremony. Viktor Kudriavtsev coached him for one month leading up to the Olympics.[11] At the Olympics, Martinez qualified for the free skate after placing 19th in the short program with a score of 64.81 points, a season best. He scored 119.44 in the free skate and finished 19th overall with a total score of 184.25.[12][13]

MVP Sports Foundation supported the skater and announced a bonus of $10,000 after the Olympics.[14] He was named an adopted son of Pasay by Mayor Antonino Calixto.[15]

Recovering from a recurring knee injury after the Olympics, Martinez was replaced by Christopher Caluza at the 2014 World Championships. He returned to competition in April at the Triglav Trophy, where he won the gold medal. In June 2014, he began training at Hackensack, New Jersey's Ice House, under the guidance of Nikolai Morozov.[16]

2014–15 season: Challenger Series medal

Making his ISU Challenger Series (CS) debut, Martinez finished sixth overall at the Lombardia Trophy. He was assigned to his first senior Grand Prix event, the 2014 Skate America.[17] In his short program, he fell on his triple Axel, but landed all his other jumps and received level fours on his camel spin, his flying sit spin, and his step sequence; he finished ninth.[18] He also placed ninth in the free skate, falling on his triple Axel, under-rotating his triple toe in the triple Lutz-triple toe combination, and stepping out in his double Axel towards the end of the program.[19] Martinez finished tenth overall.[20]

In November 2014, Martinez competed at the CS Warsaw Cup where he won the silver medal behind Russia's Alexander Petrov. Martinez posted new personal-best scores with a total of 213.38 points.[21] Martinez competed in his first Worlds at the 2015 World Championships, finishing in 21st position.

2015–16 season: Asian Trophy title

Martinez withdrew from several summer competitions due to ongoing therapy and rehabilitation for his spine. He also was unable to compete at the 2015 CS U.S. International Classic due to acute asthma.[22]

He started his season by winning gold at the 2015 Asian Figure Skating Trophy, becoming the first Filipino to win the event. He then competed at 2015 Cup of China where he finished 6th with a new personal-best overall score of 220.36 points. He placed 4th at the 2015 CS Warsaw Cup and 7th at the 2015 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb.

Martinez went on to achieve his best placements at senior ISU Championships. In February, he finished 9th out of 23 competitors at the 2016 Four Continents Championships in Taipei. Competing a month later at the 2016 World Championships in Boston, he finished 19th out of 30 competitors. Due to inconsistency in training, he dropped his original plan of including a quad jump, deciding to include the jump the following season.[23]

2016–17 season

At the 2017 Four Continents Championships, Martinez placed 14th in the short program, free skate and overall. At the 2017 Asian Winter Games, a multi-sport event held every four years, he placed 7th in the short program, 9th in the free skate, and 9th overall. At the 2017 World Championships, Martinez placed 24th in the short program and free skate, as well as overall.[24]

2017–18 season : Pyeongchang Olympics

Martinez repeats his 2018 Winter Olympic Games routine at the SM Mall of Asia ice skating rink.

At the 2017 Southeast Asian Games, Martinez won silver behind Malaysia's Julian Yee.[25] In September, he placed 8th at the 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, the final qualifying opportunity for the 2018 Winter Olympics.[26] Due to his result, his country did not qualify in figure skating but finished as the first alternate.[27] Sometime after the Nebelhorn Trophy competition, considering the end of his sponsorship, he decided to retire from figure skating to return to business law studies and be assistant in a Law Office,[28] altogether with body building, bulking up to 75 kg (165 lb) from his usual 66 kg (146 lb).[29]

In January 2018, after Sweden relinquished its Olympic spot, it was transferred to the Philippines, allowing Martinez to compete in South Korea.[27] He returned to training under coach Slava Zagor and adopted a crash diet, managing to reduce his weight to 68 kg (150 lb). The short program of the figure skating men's singles at the 2018 Winter Olympics was contested on February 16, 2018. Martinez was the sixth to perform, skating to the tune of “Emerald Tiger” by Vanessa-Mae, garnering a total of 55.56 points[29] finishing 28th out of 30 competitors.[30] He failed to advance to the free skate after not placing among the top 24.[29] Had he advanced, he planned skate to the songs “El Tango de Roxanne” from Moulin Rouge! and “Tango de los Exilados” in the free skate program, which were the same songs he used in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.[31]

Despite failing to advance, Tom Carrasco, the chef de mission of Philippine delegation to the Games remarked that Martinez did his best given the skater's "condition and circumstances" and the official relayed that Zagor described Martinez's short program as "not a bad performance".[29]

2018–19 : Hiatus

After the Pyeongchang stint, Martinez said he will not retire and will just rest for a short while. He has stated that he will prepare for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.[32] Though in September 2018, Martinez's break from the sport has been described as an indefinite leave with no time table on when he will resume skating.[33]

Martinez decided not to participate in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, declining invitation from the Philippine Skating Union to take part in the national qualifiers.[34]

Though in 2019, he didn't engage in competitive skating, Martinez maintained his fitness by doing workouts and routines. By December 2019, Martinez is already part of a new management team, DigiStar PH. It is reported that he will resume training in 2020. [35]

Programs

Martinez at the 2012 World Junior Championships

Season	Short program	Free skating	Exhibition
2017–2018 [36][37]	Carmina Burana by Carl Orff Emerald Tiger by Vanessa-Mae	El Tango de Roxanne (from Moulin Rouge!) Tango de los Exilados by Walter Taieb performed by Vanessa Mae
2016–2017 [38]	Emerald Tiger by Vanessa-Mae	Nella Fantasia by Russell Watson	Halo performed by LaVanceColley
2015–2016 [39]	Egmont by Ludwig van Beethoven	Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev	Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol Nocturne into Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
2014–2015 [40]	Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff	The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber choreo. by Nikolai Morozov[41]
2013–2014 [42]	Romeo and Juliet by Nino Rota choreo. by Philip Mills	Malagueña by Ernesto Lecuona choreo. by Justin Dillon	Nocturne into Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
2012–2013 [43]	Toccata and Fugue in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach performed by Vanessa-Mae	King Arthur by Hans Zimmer
2010–2012 [7][44]	The Jellicle Ball (from Cats) by Andrew Lloyd Webber	Tango De Los Exilados by Walter Taieb performed by Vanessa-Mae

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[45]
Event	09–10	10–11	11–12	12–13	13–14	14–15	15–16	16–17	17–18
Olympics					19th				28th
Worlds						21st	19th	24th
Four Continents				16th	WD	WD	9th	14th
GP Cup of China							6th
GP Skate America						10th
CS Finlandia							9th
CS Golden Spin						6th	7th
CS Lombardia						6th
CS Nebelhorn									8th
CS Warsaw Cup						2nd	4th
Asian Trophy							1st
Asian Games								9th
Crystal Skate				1st
Nebelhorn					7th
New Year's Cup				3rd
NRW Trophy				13th
Skate Helena					1st
SEA Games									2nd
Triglav Trophy					1st	1st
U.S. Classic					6th
Volvo Open Cup					4th			5th
International: Junior or novice[45]
Junior Worlds			15th	5th
Youth Olympics			7th
JGP Australia			8th
JGP Croatia				6th
JGP Estonia					3rd
JGP Japan		17th
JGP Latvia					4th
JGP U.S.				4th
Tirnavia	1st N.
National[45]
Philippine Champs.				3rd				1st
N. = Novice level; TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew

Detailed results

2017–18 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
September 27–30, 2017	2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy	8 67.50	9 124.24	8 191.74
August 26–27, 2017	2017 Southeast Asian Games	2 54.74	2 116.89	2 171.63
2016–17 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
March 29–April 2, 2017	2017 World Figure Skating Championships	24 69.32	24 127.47	24 196.79
February 23–26, 2017	2017 Asian Winter Games	7 76.53	9 135.43	9 211.96
February 16–19, 2017	2017 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships	14 72.47	14 141.68	14 214.15
2015–16 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
November 27–29, 2015	2015 Warsaw Cup	6 65.64	4 140.66	4 206.30
November 5–8, 2015	2015 Cup of China	7 72.24	5 148.12	6 220.36
October 8–11, 2015	2015 Finlandia Trophy	7 65.18	9 125.36	9 190.54
August 5–8, 2015	2015 Asian Figure Skating Trophy	1 72.14	1 116.39	1 188.53
2014–15 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
April 16–19, 2015	2015 Triglav Trophy	5 51.68	1 130.16	1 181.84
March 23–29, 2015	2015 World Figure Skating Championships	22 67.03	20 125.35	21 192.38
November 21–24, 2014	2014 Golden Spin	4 74.45	6 130.00	6 204.45
November 21–24, 2014	2014 Warsaw Cup	2 73.81	2 139.57	2 213.38
October 24–26, 2014	2014 Skate America	9 72.81	9 124.77	10 197.58
September 21–22, 2014	2014 Lombardia Trophy	6 67.36	5 132.56	5 199.92

References

1. "ISU World Standings for Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance : Men". International Skating Union. December 17, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
2. "Athlete Profile: Michael Christian Martinez". Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
3. "Michael Christian MARTINEZ". Sochi2014.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2014.
4. Payo, Jasmine W. (February 25, 2014). "Michael Martinez seeks podium finish in 2018 Games". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
5. Park, Madison (February 14, 2014). "A first for Southeast Asia: An Olympic figure skater". CNN.
6. Leyba, Olmin (April 25, 2013). "PH skater chases Olympic dream". The Philippine Star. abs-cbnnews.com.
7. "Michael Christian MARTINEZ: 2011/2012". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012.
8. Flade, Tatjana (September 2, 2012). "Martinez puts the Philippines on the map for figure skating". Golden Skate.
9. "Nebelhorn Trophy - Olympic Qualifying Event - Review". International Skating Union. September 28, 2013. Archived from the original on October 28, 2013.
10. Orendain, Simone (January 15, 2014). "Filipino figure skater who can't always afford coach turns to prayer". Catholic News Service. Catholic Register.
11. McCarvel, Nicholas (February 5, 2014). "Michael Christian Martinez, figure skater from the Philippines, makes Olympic history". NBC.
12. "Olympic Winter Games, Sochi 2014: Men's result". International Skating Union. February 14, 2014.
13. "Men Free Skating". Sochi2014.com. February 14, 2014.
14. "MVP Sports Foundation grants $10k bonus for Michael Christian Martinez". Interaksyon. February 15, 2014.
15. "Martinez named adopted son of Pasay". ABS-CBN News. February 25, 2014.
16. Tagala, Don (June 5, 2014). "PH Olympian Michael Martinez levels up with new coach". ABS-CBN News.
17. "July 10, 2014" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2014.
18. "ISU GP 2014 Hilton HHonors Skate America – Men Short Program – Judges Details Per Skater" (PDF). ISU Results. International Skating Union. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
19. "ISU GP 2014 Hilton HHonors Skate America – Men Free Skating – Judges Details Per Skater" (PDF). ISU Results. International Skating Union. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
20. "ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating – 2014 Hilton HHonors Skate America – Men – Result". ISU Results. International Skating Union. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
21. "Warsaw Cup 2014 – Men – Final Results". ISU Results. International Skating Union. 23 November 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
22. Slater, Paula (September 24, 2015). "Martinez remains optimistic despite injury". Golden Skate.
23. Henson, Joaquin (17 April 2016). "Martinez ends ISU season on high note". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
24. "Michael Christian Martinez finishes last in World Championships final". Rappler. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
25. Bracher, Jane (August 27, 2017). "Michael Christian Martinez earns SEA Games silver in men's figure skating". Rappler.
26. Leongson, Randolph (October 1, 2017). "Martinez fails to qualify for 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics". The Philippine Daily Inquirer.
27. "Figure skater Michael Martinez claims Olympics seat". The Philippine Star. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
28. http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/just-skating-olympics-win-michael-christian-martinez
29. "Winter Olympics: Pinoy figure skater Michael Martinez bows out in preliminaries". ABS-CBN News. Reuters, ABS-CBN. 16 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
30. Mather, Victor; Longman, Jeré (16 February 2018). "Olympics Figure Skating Live Results: Yuzuru Hanyu Leads; Nathan Chen Stumbles". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
31. Henson, Joaquin (1 February 2018). "Michael Martinez adjusts music for Olympics". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
32. Bigtas, Jannielyn Ann (20 February 2018). "Michael Martinez to rest but 2019 SEA Games already 'in my mind'". GMA News. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
33. Lozada, Meilin (6 September 2018). "Figure-skater Michael Martinez takes indefinite leave. He explains why". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
34. https://www.spin.ph/multisport/sea-games/wondering-why-olympian-michael-martinez-isn-t-at-sea-games-a2437-20191129
35. https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/354447/figure-skater-michael-martinez-gears-up-for-comeback/
36. @TropicalFrost (April 6, 2017). "#MCMHomecoming @Martinezfrost3 will be skating to Carmina Burana for his 2017-2018 short program" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
37. "Michael Christian MARTINEZ: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 17, 2017.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
38. "Michael Christian MARTINEZ: 2016/2017". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017.
39. "Michael Christian MARTINEZ: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016.
40. "Michael Christian MARTINEZ: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014.
41. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/06/05/14/ph-olympian-michael-martinez-levels-new-coach
42. "Michael Christian MARTINEZ: 2013/2014". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on February 15, 2014.
43. "Michael Christian MARTINEZ: 2012/2013". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013.
44. "Michael Christian MARTINEZ: 2010/2011". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010.
45. "Competition Results: Michael Christian MARTINEZ". International Skating Union.

External links

• Michael Christian Martinez at the International Skating Union
• Michael Christian Martinez on Instagram

Olympic Games
Preceded by Hidilyn Diaz	Flagbearer for  Philippines Sochi 2014	Succeeded by Ian Lariba