Dubbed the 'Ice Queen of Southeast Asia', Isla Lorenzo's dream is to become the first-ever Filipino figure skater to win the gold medal in the Winter Olympics. She's truly gifted; a prodigy as per the experts in the sport used to describe her back i...
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Tonight marked the ISU Grand Prix Of Figure Skating Final. Ending the free skating segment could be uninteresting knowing that the audience was eager to know who would take home the gold medal. They couldn't wait any longer. They'd shove me off the rink if they could. But it was nerve-wracking on my part. The fact that I already knew the scores of my competitors; the pressure and anxiety both added some weight to my shoulders.
In the history of my competitions, this was the very first time that I had ever felt so helpless...
When I heard the announcer call my name, I nodded my head at my coach and let the blades glide on the ice surface. Embracing the wind, the cold sent shivers down my spine. I could hear some people cheering for me. I looked up and smiled a little when I saw my family. I got an extra 10 seconds, so I moved around the rink and stopped at the center when they gave me the cue.
Tumingala ako nang naramdaman ang pamumuo ng luha ko. The orchestra version of Les Misérables' "On My Own" started to play. Funny how that piece could describe what I was feeling at the moment.
The expression on my face immediately changed as I let the character I was portraying get drowned in her emotions. Using my right foot, the blade hit the ice in an outside edge position and I turned around slowly. With my body following the rhythm of the music, I moved around the rink with such speed that everything became blurry.
Going to the other side of the rink, I skated backward and looked over my left shoulder. Stepping my left foot forward, I drew back my arms and right leg before I jumped forward without hesitation. The people applauded for me 'cause I just executed the first element—Triple Axels.
As I landed on the ice, I glided and danced again. That jump was perfect, but I couldn't celebrate as I needed to look "miserable". Matinding pagpapanggap ang kailangan kahit gaano pa ako ka-excite dahil sa narinig na palakpakan.
Concentrating, I applied the Ina Bauer technique and the 3A was followed by a triple-Lutz triple-toe loop combination. I landed it smoothly which resulted in making the audience react delightedly.
Following the choreography and not messing up the transitions of executing the elements, I skated so fast. Right before I reached the center of the rink, I turned around and the left blade leaned towards the inside edge. Then, the right toe-pick strikes the ice, preparing for take-off before I threw myself in the air. I thought I'd land that Triple Flip without any problems at all, but I almost lost my balance when the blades sank into the ice.
I was having a smooth routine when that happened. Pumikit ako at hindi na masyadong dinamdam iyon. I didn't leave my position and let the judges define what I was about to do by making a difficult entrance. I inhaled sharply and quickly carried out my first spin—the Flying Camel Spin. I increased my speed and was able to hold four revolutions.
