FILIPINO Olympian Michael Martinez vies in the International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating (Grand Prix) set October 24 to December 14. 

The Grand Prix is a series of senior international figure skating competitions for the 2014 to 2015 season, with Martinez being the only Filipino and Southeast Asian skater competing. 

Disciplines to be held are men’s singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing, with skaters earning points based on their placement at each event and the top six in each discipline qualifying to compete at the Grand Prix Final to be held in Barcelona, Spain.

“The youth and the promotion of athletic excellence through our facilities, programs, events, and schools are among our primary advocacies. Michael Martinez is a homegrown talent and a role model for today’s youth as he sets his sights even higher,” said Hans Sy, president of SM Prime Holdings Inc., which has been the major supporter of the young Filipino skater. “We fully support his dreams to continue to represent the Philippines and to place in the next Winter Olympics.” 

Martinez will first compete in the Hilton Honors Skate America in Chicago, Illinois from Oct. 24-26, which is the first of six events that make up the 2014 Grand Prix Series. 

Martinez was one of the select few invited by the organizing committee to compete in the prestigious event. He will be up against some of the world’s finest skaters such as Tatsuki Machida of Japan, Denis Ten of Kazakhstan, Jeremy Abbott of the USA, and Artur Gachinski of Russia. 

Other stops include Skate Canada, LEXUS Cup of China, Trophee Eric Bompard in France, Rostelecom Cup in Russia, and NHK Trophy in Japan. 

Organized by the ISU, the Grand Prix series sets the stage for the 2015 European, Four Continents, and World Championships. The corresponding series for junior-level skaters will be the 2014–15 ISU Junior Grand Prix. 

Ranked 27th in the world, Martinez clinched his first senior international title championship, also a first for the Philippines at the 2012 Crystal Skate held in Brazov, Romania.