Lone Filipino Winter Olympian Makes It to Top 19 in the Figure Skating Finale

Filipino figure skater, Christian Martinez, landed as the 19th best figure skater in men's division in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics as the free skate program ends. He was also in that same spot during the men's short program which selected the top 24 skaters to advance in the free skate program.

He totalled 184.25 points in the competition while the gold medalist, Yuzuru Hanyu, scored 280.09. Martinez performed his routine in the tune of Malaguena which lasted for almost 5 minutes.

After the event, he said that he will get better in preparation for the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeonchang, South Korea. As incentive, Manny Pangilinan awarded Martinez with $10,000 (~PhP 450,000) for his historical participation and for bringing pride to the Philippines.

Martinez is the lone representative of the Philippines in the Winter Olympics after 22 years of no representation. His participation in the Olympics had sparked some issues to government as his mother claims that her son lacks support from Pnoy's administration, which Malacanang later clarified.