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MICHAEL BARBOSA flaunted incredible grace and flair on ice as he
captured two gold and two silver medals to lead the Philippines’
fine start in the 2007 Skate Asia Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia
skating rink in Pasay City.
The 9-year-old Barbosa, playing out of SM
Megamall skating rink, ruled the 9 mixed Figure 3 and 9-12 mixed
Creative Figure 3 to emerge the top medal winner in the early going
of this annual event that attracted 637 skaters from 15 skating
rinks across Asia and the United States.
Barbosa, however, bowed to Hong Kong’s Wong
Hou Lam of Festival Walk on Glacier (FWG) skating rink in the 8-9
male Solo Competition and failed to earn the nods of the judges in
the 9 male Free Figure 3 where he was just given a dismal score 4.0
to settle for the silver medal.
“I’m still on the right track,” said
Barbosa, a Grade 3 pupil from University of the Philippines
Integrated School who posted a world record after joining a total of
33 events, the most by any individual in this seven-day tourney.
Also shining in the rink were Carmi Naomi Damian
in the 12-16 female Figure 3, Shaira Penarubia in the 11 female
Figure 1, Lindsay Garcia in the 12 female Figure 1, Michael
Christian Martinez in the 7-10 mixed Figure 1, Julia Ignacio in the
11-12 female Figure 2, and Shaira Myron Salarda in the 6-7 female
Figure 1, whose stellar performance impressed many.
Sanctioned by the Ice Skating Institute of
America, the event is backed by SM Prime Holdings, Philippine
Skating Union, Pepsi, Department of Tourism, Accel, Philippine
Airlines, Shure Travel and Tours and Yehey.com.
The Philippines is the defending champion after
dominating last year’s edition in Shenzen, China, with a haul of
521 gold, 293 silver and 219 bronze medals.
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