The World Figure Skating Championships is an ISU-sanctioned championship event that will take place in one of Europe’s most actively-used entertainment venues, the Hartwall Arena. Figure skaters to compete in the World Championships not only get a shot at the Worlds title, but also secure their spot for the upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea slated for February 2018.
20-year old Michael Martinez has been active in joining figure skating competitions this 2017 and has recently finished in the Top 10 of the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan. Martinez also became the highest ranking Southeast Asian contender in the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships held in South Korea last February. Michael’s upcoming performance at the World Figure Skating Championships will determine if he will be able to follow his remarkable inclusion at Sochi, Russia, where he became known as the first Filipino figure skater to compete at the Olympic Winter Games.
“[The Worlds] is very important to me since it’s the qualifying event for the next Olympics. This is where they choose the top 24 to compete in the next Winter Olympics. I’m a little bit nervous, to be honest, but I’m really excited because I feel ready. Especially since I had a clean short program in two competitions,” Martinez said.
After the World Championships, Michael is slated to compete at the 2017 Asian Open Trophy and the SEA Games this August. Get the latest updates on Michael Martinez and all the PH figure skating bets this season! Follow SM Skating on Facebook and Twitter (@smskating).