THREE Filipino youngsters — Peter Joseph Groseclose, Avery Uriel Balbanida and Laetaz Amihan Rabe— are competing in the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic South Korea is hosting in Gangwon starting on January 19.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino was delighted with the qualification of the three athletes as he stressed the consistent participation of Filipinos in the Winter Games.

“I’m proud to announce the participation of our three teenagers to the Winter Youth Olympics,” Tolentino said. “We Filipinos have defied limitations and embraced the challenges of competing in winter sports through the years.”

He added: “We’re living in a tropical country, but our spirit simply knows no boundaries. Our athletes are united in pursuing Olympic excellence and that’s also a testament to their Olympic spirit.”

Groseclose, 16, will be competing in short track of speed skating; Balbanida, 14, will be vying in cross-country of skiing; and Rabe, also 14, will be seeing action in of free ski slope style and big air.

The Winter Youth Olympic Games features athletes aged 15 to 18. The Games will run until February 1.
Ada Lacia Milby is the chef de mission and she’ll be accompanied to the Games by Philippine Skating Union president Nikki Cheng and Philippine Ski and Snowboard Federation, headed by Secretary General Jezreel Apelar.

Groseclose, according to Cheng, qualified for Gangwon with his No. 32 ranking in the boys’ 500 meters during the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships February last year in Dresden, Germany. He will race in the 500m, 1000m and 1,500m.

Balbanida, a Filipino-Canadian, earned his International Ski and Snowboard Federation, known by the acronym FİŞ, license and qualification by gaining points in FİŞ-sanctioned tournaments last year.

Rabe, on the other hand, was an alternate in freestyle slope style and big air but gained qualification to Gangwon after two alternates ahead of her withdrew.

This is the third time that the Filipino athletes are competing in the Winte Youth Olympics since the 2012 inaugurals in Innsbruck, Austria, where alpine skier Abel Tesfamariam finished No. 37 in giant slalom and figure skater Michael Martinez ranked No. 7 in men’s singles.

The Philippines did not qualify an athlete at Lillehammer (Norway) 2016, but returned in 2020 in Lausanne.