Nothing but Praises for Filipino Figure Skater Michael Martinez

Warm Welcome Awaits Winter Olympian Michael Martinez at MOA on Feb 23 

SM Prime Holdings Inc., the property conglomerate of the SM Group of Companies, is all set to give a warm welcome for winter Olympian and homegrown skating rink talent Michael Martinez as he comes home on February 23, 2014 from a sensational performance at the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia. 

“We are very proud of Michael. He is indeed a shining example for the youth as someone who saw no limits to what he can achieve. He has already inspired millions by following his dreams and by competing in the Winter Olympics and will continue to inspire us all as he works towards earning more medals in the future Olympic competitions,” SM Prime Holdings President Hans T. Sy said.   

To honor Martinez, SM has surprise gifts when he arrives where he will be given a motorcade at the Mall of Asia grounds starting at 4 PM which will culminate in an awarding ceremony inside the mall. During his formative years as a figure skater, Martinez frequented SM Southmall in Las Pinas and much later on SM Mall of Asia for figure skating competitions despite frequent bouts of asthma. Since skating at 8 years old, Martinez has garnered 194 medals and trophies from various international and local competitions. He is currently ranked 19th in the world based on his recent performance at the Winter Olympics. Martinez clinched 7th place at the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany that qualified him for the 2014 Winter Olympics.   Through the years, SM and the Philippine Skating Union have conducted several figure skating competitions that have given birth to international champions such as Martinez.  

The excellence demonstrated by skaters especially during competitions is a mark of quality that the SM Ice Skating Rink can provide with its world-class venue and facilities.    

Property conglomerate SM Prime Holdings, Inc. operates ice skating rinks through SM Lifestyle and Entertainment, INc. at the SM Megamall’s Mega Fashion Hall in Mandaluyong, SM Mall of Asia in Pasay, SM Southmall in Las Pinas and SM Clark in Pampanga.   

To thank his fans for their unwavering support, Michael Martinez will be at the SM Southmall Ice Skating Rink for a meet and greet on February 24 at 4-5 PM, SM Mall of Asia Ice Skating Rink on February 25 at 12- 1 PM, and at the SM Skating Rink in Megamall’s Mega Fashion Hall on February 25 at 4-5 PM.   

For information, please visit SM Skating Rink’s website at www.smiceskating.com or visit an SM Skating Rink near you.

Michael Martinez Filipino Figure Skater Road to Olympics 2014

PH's Olympic Winter Bet on Thin Ice

Figure skater Michael Martinez is the Philippines’ first athlete to qualify for the Winter Olympics ever. In this year’s games held in Sochi, Russia, he is our lone representative.
Entering his final two months of preparation for the games, the young phenom admitted he was already feeling the heat.

“My training is not yet complete,” said Michael in an interview after a training session at the skating rink of the SM Mall of Asia. “I need four hours with a coach, but we can only afford one hour. We lack the budget.”
At 17 years old, Michael is up against 29 other top figure skaters in the Sochi games. Despite his youth and frequent asthma attacks, Michael managed to rank 28th among the best senior-level figure skaters in the planet!
Early in 2013, he landed 7th at the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany that qualified him for this year’s Winter Olympics. To reach the finals, he needs to be part of the top 24 competitors in his category.
The absence of government support compelled Michael to seek sponsors elsewhere. One of his biggest supporters is SM, which donated Php 1 million for his training and other expenses related to his Olympic participation. He was actually “discovered” in SM Southmall in Las Piñas when he was still in his formative years as a figure skater.

Michael’s main supporter is his mother, Teresa, who accompanies him in his training and competitions abroad. She also knows first-hand how much the pursuit of Olympic gold can cost. “It will cost you half-a-million pesos per competition. You also pay for the airfare and hotel of the coach who charges $400 a day,” Teresa recounted, adding that Michael has already competed five times in 2013.
“One of his coaches in the US charges $100 an hour, he has an Olympic coach that charges $150 an hour, and a choreographer that charges $130.” She said that adding ice time, the daily cost of training could easily amount to $500-600.

The need for the coaches could not be stressed enough as Michael is yet to learn a crucial skill – quad jumps – a jumping technique with four revolutions. His Filipino coach Ted Domingo underscored the necessity of training abroad. “We’re talking about high level competition. In the Philippines, we still don’t have that kind of training,” he said.

The Philippines has yet to win an Olympic gold, and winning one in figure skating, in Winter Olympics at that, would be sweeter. But Michael needs more than just a dream. SM has broken the ice, so to speak, and that is enough to help him make history – for now.

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