HOPEFUL. Filipino-American speed skater Peter Groseclose (left) during a practice session in the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea on Friday (Jan. 19, 2024.) He will compete in the 1,500 meters short track event on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of @championiceskating)
MANILA – Filipino-American speed skater Peter Groseclose will kick off the Philippine campaign in the 4th Winter Youth Olympic Games on Saturday morning at the 12,000-seat Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangwon, South Korea.
Groseclose will compete in the 1,500 meters short track, which he claimed as his weakest event.
“To be honest, it is my weakest distance, but I’m not bad at it, I’m more of a sprinter and this is more of an endurance race. But I will do my best and I can be competitive to it,” the 16-year-old Washington resident said on Friday.
The opening ceremonies were held simultaneously at the Gangneung Oval and Pyeongchang Dome on Friday, with Switzerland-based freestyle skier Laetaz Amihan Rabe serving as flag-bearer for the Philippine delegation that included chef de mission Ada Milby and Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and secretary-general Wharton Chan.
Groseclose trains with American coach Simon Cho back home. But in Gangwon, his coach is John-Henry Krueger, the speedskating silver medalist at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics.
“Short track is very unpredictable. So as a coach, I want him to focus on every race just one at a time and not thinking too far down the road,” said Krueger, who won the mixed team bronze medal in Beijing two years ago.
“If that’s a good race, that’s great. If that’s bad, we have to focus on the next. There’s no point looking far down the road as the field is too competitive,” he added.
Groseclose will be up against athletes from 33 countries, including South Koreans Jaehee Joo and Yousung Kim who are favored to win.
“The general consensus is [host] South Korea is the most powerful team in the World Cup junior competitions, but I’m really glad and ready to compete against them so let’s see,” Groseclose said.
The 1500m—the longest in speedskating—is disputed among four to six athletes over a 111.111-meter oval. The event starts at 11 a.m. (10 a.m. in Manila).
“These Youth Olympics happen once in a lifetime, they happen every four years and I’m glad to have this opportunity to get an experience and be part of this event,” said Groseclose, who will also compete in the 1000m on Sunday and 500m on Monday.
Filipino-Canadian cross-country skier Avery Balbanida is scheduled to arrive on Jan. 25. Her events are on Jan. 29 and 30. (PNA)
