Gangwon 2024: Skater Peter Groseclose "honoured" to represent Philippines at the Winter Youth Olympic Games
The short track speed skater is one of three Filipinos competing at the Youth Olympic Games that began on Friday 19 January in the Republic of Korea.
Filipino short track speed skater Peter Groseclose is hoping to use the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) at Gangwon 2024 as a stepping stone for the Milano Cortina 2026 Games.
Groseclose will be the first of three athletes from the Philippines in action at the Youth Olympics.
“I’m very honoured and grateful to become part of the Winter Youth Olympic Games representing the Philippines,” Groseclose said, according to Manila Bulletin.
“I think it will be a great experience and I’m very excited.”
The American-Filipino skater competes in three events at the Gangneung Ice Arena: men's 1500m on Saturday (20 January), 1000m on Sunday (21 January), and 500 meters on Monday (22 January).
The 16-year-old is one of three athletes from the Philippines competing in Gangwon. The others are Canada-based cross country skier Avery Balbanida, and Laetaz Rabe, a freestyle skier.
Groseclose, whose older sister was a figure skater, expects Gangwon to be the first of many Olympic experiences.
“That’s a goal of mine — to represent the Philippines in the 2026 Olympics,” said the athlete, who is based in Virginia and coached by Hungarian two-time Olympic medallist John-Henry Krueger.
The Philipines also sent athletes to the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck in 2012 and Lausanne 2020.
Gangwon 2024 is the fourth edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games, being held from 19 January to 1 February. Several athletes from countries with little winter sports tradition are competing at the Republic of Korea,
Watch action from Gangwon 2024 live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app, for free and without subscription. The full schedule of events being livestreamed is here.
