Michael Christian Martinez at the Sochi Olympics. AFP

Olympian Michael Christian Martinez will try to make the Philippines proud once more this October when he competes in the Grand Prix of Figure Skating.

He will be the only skater not just from the Philippines but from the Southeast Asian region to compete in the International Skating Union series.

Martinez will skate at Hilton Honors Skate America in Chicago, Illinois from October 24 to 26.

Martinez will train and compete for the series with the support of the Philippine Skating Union and SM Prime Holdings, Inc., the owner of the mall skating rink where he first began skating.

“Michael Martinez is a homegrown talent and a role model for today’s youth as he sets his sights even higher. We fully support his dreams to continue to represent the Philippines and to place in the next Winter Olympic,” said SM Prime president Hans T. Sy.

Martinez will test his mettle against world-renowned skaters Tatsuki Machida of Japan, Denis Ten of Kazakhstan, Jeremy Abbott of the USA, and Artur Gachinski of Russia.

Ranked 27th in the world, Martinez made history earlier this year after being the first Filipino to skate in the Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Despite finishing 19th, Martinez drew praise for beating the odds as a skater from a tropical country. — JST, GMA News