UCLA lass skates way to Olympics

MANILA, Philippines - She began skating when she was four but only yesterday, 13 years after, did Mericien Venzon realize how far can she go.

“It’s my dream to be in the Winter Olympics and this is one step closer,” said the 17-year-old student of UCLA yesterday after she topped the 2009 Philippine Figure Skating Championships before a cheering crowd at the SM Mall of Asia Ice Skating Rink.

The victory earned Venzon a slot to the final Olympic qualifying tournament to be held in Oberstdorf, Germany in September where she will be joined by another Filipino entry in the men’s division, Dikki Martinez, who also qualified yesterday.

Venzon came here with nine other Fil-Americans and vied for the slot to Germany. In that group are veterans Gracielle Tan (101.86) who finished third, Lauren Ko (102.13) who finished second and Elizabeth Stern (92,6) who finished fourth.

Venzon did well in yesterday’s long program even if she stood third behind Stern and Tan after last Saturday’s short program. She failed to land her final double axel but was cool the rest of the way for a winning total of 102.29 points.

“I was a little nervous. I knew it was going to be hard with Gracielle and Elizabeth around, and I had to do my best. But I knew I had the chance,” said Venzon who had her parents, Melvin and Ellen, and some tarpouline-bearing relatives on hand.

She said work is cut out for her.

“It’s gonna be harder from now on. I’m on summer break right now and I’ll skate all day. I will work on my axels,” said Venzon who cut her left middle finger with her blade during action the other day but said it didn’t bother her.

“I’m speechless. I’m very proud of her. I never thought she could win, All I wanted for her was the experience,” said the father, a practicing pediatrician in Hayward, California.

Her coach, Philip Diguuglielmo, an alternate for the Italian team to the 1992 Winter Olympics, was just as proud.

“She has done so much in her life. It’s amazing. This is the icing on the cake. She deserves every moment of it.

“I’m very happy for her. It’s gonna get tougher but she’s gonna do it,” said the Italian mentor.

“She’s one of the best skaters I’ve ever met and it’s a privilege working with her. It’s a great feeling to see her up there,” he added as Venzon accepted the award from POC president Jose Cojuangco and SM boss Hans Sy.

The panel of judges took almost two hours to prepare the final tally, and while the skaters waited, nobody knew what was going to happen – not Tan, the favorite, nor Stern, the leader after Saturday’s program.

“I’m happy with my performance. That’s the best I can do today,” said Tan, the only Filipina in the ISU World Championships last March in Los Angeles. She finished 29th out of 54 skaters, and the top 24 advanced to the Olympics.

Tan was so gracious in defeat and at 21 this could be her last shot at it. She was a hit among fellow skaters, young and old, and they all wanted their pictures taken with the Michelle Kwan look-alike from California.

Stern showed more frustration after her routine where she had a very good start only to fall on her last two axels. Later on she was seen burying her face, crying on the chest of her coach, Jason Briggs.

“It was a little frustrating because the season was on the line here,” said Briggs.

But turning out to be the day’s big loser was Mary Grace Baldo who lost her purse, including her passport to a thief who managed his way inside the skaters’ dressing room where a security camera later showed a young man taking the purse out of her skating bag.

“That’s him,” said Baldo as she watched the tape from the security camera.