Having taken part in the 2020 edition, this is the first back-to-back appearance for the Philippines in the Winter Youth Olympics.[3] The Filipino team consisted of three athletes (two men and one woman) competing in three sports.[4]
Laetaz Rabe[a], a freestyle skier was the flagbearer for the Philippine delegation at the opening ceremony.[5][6]
Competitors
The following is the list of number of competitors participating at the Games per sport/discipline.
The Philippines received 1 male quota. Calgary, Canada resident 16-year-old Avery Balbanida fills the lone quota slot.[7][8] Balbinada has competed in the sprint freestyle event[9] and the 7.5-kilometer classical.[10] He is joined by her Australian coach Allison McArdle.[11]
Balbanida failed to advanced from the qualification round, finishing 69th.[9] He needed to finish among the top 30 skiers to advance.[12] He marked the end of the Philippine delegation's campaign by finishing in 65th place in the 7.5-kilometer classic.[13]
The Philippines received 1 female quota in slopestyle/big air. 14-year-old Laetaz Rabe fills the slot.[7] Based in Switzerland, Rabe is born to parents hailing from Cotabato City and Malolos.[14]
Rabe sustained an injury on her left knee during a warm-up training just before the freeski slopestyle qualification causing her to miss the event.[15] The injury rendered her unable to compete in the big air event as well.[16]
Groseclose, who is coached by Olympic medalist John-Henry Krueger, is the first to compete among the 3-athlete Philippine delegation. He competed at the 1,500-meter, 500-meter and 1,000-meter races.[19] Groseclose failed to advanced from the quarterfinal of the 1,500-meter race which he said is his weakest event among the three; describing the event as an "endurance race" and himself as more of a sprinter.[20] He also finished as a quarterfinalist in the 1,000-meter race.[21]
It was in the 500-meter race that Groseclose had his best performance; reaching the final stage. In the fifth and final lap, Groseclose and China's Zhang Bohao are in close contention for a bronze medal but the two stumbled on each other in the 40-second mark. He was penalized and did not record any time.[22] Close to clinching the first-ever Winter Youth Olympics medal for the Philippines, Groseclose's feat was hailed by the delegation as the best ever finish of the Philippines in an Olympic winter sport event.[23][24]
