OLYMPIC figure skater Michael Christian Martinez bounced back from a knee injury to rule the seniors’ division of the 2014 Triglav Trophy on Sunday in Jesenice, Slovenia.

Martinez, who placed 19th overall in the 2014 Sochi Olympics in February, skipped the World Junior Figure Skating Championship last month to rest his injured knee and earned dividends instead in the Slovenia event.

“I thank God for this blessing—another gold medal in senior event. It was actually difficult for all of us because the 30-minute practice sessions were scheduled a day before, and there were no more practices during the competition days. I’m very happy I made it to first place,” Martinez said.

The 17-year-old wowed the judges to beat a strong international field in the annual International Skating Union (ISU)-sanctioned tournament.             

Martinez told the Los Angeles-based Examiner.com that his injuries have not completely healed and was elated with the result.

“I am very happy that I won here in Slovenia. After the short program, I was not very positive in winning the gold. I am not yet 100-percent healed from my injuries,” Martinez said. “At some point I was tentative in some of my jumps in the long program. Now that I won it, it made the victory a little sweeter.”

Martinez scored a combined 195.13 in the short (63.29) and free skate (131.84) programs. He again used “Malagueña,” the same piece that earned him a decent finish in this year’s Winter Olympiad, in Slovenia.

His 195.13 total was almost four points lower than his ISU personal best of 198.82 but was enough to beat Japanese pair Kenji Tanaka (189.83) and Ryuju Hino (183.06).

It was Martinez’s fourth international medal and third straight in a European tournament. His other gold-medal wins were in the 2009 Tirnavia Ice Cup in Slovakia (advanced novice men’s), 2012 Crystal Skate of Romania in Brasov (seniors’ men’s) and the 2013 Skate Helena.

“I hope I can get sponsors this time who will support me until the 2018 Olympics, otherwise I will be forced to stop skating. My mother can’t afford it anymore to support me for another four years,” said Martinez, who is scheduled to be back in Manila on April 20.