Maniolas

Michael Christian Martinez of the Philippines competes in the men’s short program figure skating competition at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. AP For roughly a half hour on Friday, Michael Christian Martinez was the top male figure skater at the Sochi Olympics. He skated early in the finals, earning a score that put him ahead of several other athletes, including another young man from Kazakhstan where it was minus 27 Celsius as the competition was wrapping up. The top-ranked skaters eventually took over the competition, led by Japan’s Hanyu Yuzuru, who won the gold. Nobody really expected Martinez to win a medal, and he himself said was quoted in interviews that he’d be happy just to make it to the finals. And he did that just that, and with so much class that he impressed TV commentators and the international media who celebrate with Filipinos the incredible journey of Southeast Asia’s first Olympic competitor in figure skating. And one thing also is worth noting: Martinez didn’t finish last as one would expect. Instead the kid from a hot tropical country out-skated athletes from five countries with snowy and icy winters. Martinez finished 19th, but who would argue that it was still a triumphant performance? And we have to thank him for turning Sochi into a memorable Olympics for Filipinos, especially given the country’s recent forgettable summer Olympics . And we now could also look forward to the upcoming winter Read More …