What’s next for Michael Christian Martinez?

MANILA, Philippines – The 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi, Russia has come and gone. Michael Christian Martinez achieved his goal of competing on Olympic ice and bring pride and glory to the Philippines.

So, what comes next for this young figure skater?

As early as now, Martinez is already kickstarting his 4-year buildup to the next Winter Olympics in 2018.

With promised support from SM and the Philippine Skating Union, Martinez can shift his entire focus on qualifying for the next edition of the Games. 

The matter of his coach along with his plans for training abroad are already settled. 

“Continue pa rin ako kay Ilia Kulik, yung Russian coach ko sa US,” Martinez said during his homecoming press conference this week. (I’ll continue with Ilia Kulik, my Russian coach in the US.)

(RELATED: Olympian Martinez comes home to hero’s welcome)

Kulik, a former Olympic figure skating champion, has been training Martinez since 2010. 

“Kasi siya yung nagturo sa akin from the start, kung paano ma-consistent lahat ng triple jumps ko. So I’ll still continue with Ilia Kulik,” Martinez added. (He taught me from the start, how to be consistent with all my triple jumps.) 

The next 4 years will be crucial for the 17-year old as he must pile up on his skating arsenal and realize plenty of the potential he showed at Sochi 2014.

By 2018, he will no longer have the element of surprise as an up-and-coming figure skater from a tropical country. He’ll need to do much more to secure the first Winter Olympics medal for the Philippines.

This will include perfecting his triple jumps and expanding to quadruples in the process.

“Nag-start na kami mag-training ng quadruple jumps, we are still working on it,” Martinez revealed what his current training consists of. “It’s getting there.” (We already started training for quadruple jumps, we are still working on it.)

Martinez will also need to trump the world’s best on the ice, including his idol and silver medalist Patrick Chan, whom he met during the Games. Chan was also said to have congratulated Martinez.

“Para sa akin sobrang nakakatuwa, iba yung feeling. Feeling ko I’m dreaming, I don’t know,” Martinez gushed about the Canadian figure skater he looks up to. 

“Nung na-meet ko siya ang dami ko gustong itanong. Kung paano niya nagagawa yung highest scores. Tuwang tuwa ako nung na-meet ko siya.” (For me I was so happy, it’s a different feeling. I felt like I’m dreaming, I don’t know. When I met him I wanted to ask so many questions. I was very happy when I met him.) 

Asked how ready he is for a long and arduous 4 years of training and competition leading to the next Winter Olympics, Martinez exuded a confidence perhaps buoyed by the warm welcome he received when he arrived back in Manila from Sochi.

“Handa ako kasi sigurado yung experience na nakuha ko sa this Olympics (magagamit ko), sigurado sa next Olympics handang handa ako,” he said.

“Marami ako nakuhang kailangan kong gawin and kung ano yung i-improve ko sa skating skills ko.” (I’m ready because I’m sure the experience I got from this Olympics will be useful to me, for sure next Olympics I’ll be very ready.)

Martinez will barely have time to rest as he jump starts his buildup by flying back to the US on February 27 for training. By March 7 he will already be in Sofia, Bulgaria, where he will compete in the 2014 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

He takes the ice for men’s singles from March 13 to March 15.

Martinez made history by being the first Filipino representative at the Winter Games in 22 years. He was also the first Southeast Asian figure skater to compete in the Olympics. The pride of Parañaque finished in 19th place. – Rappler.com