Figure skaters start Winter Games quest

HARBIN, China — Freestyle skier Laetaz Amihan Rabe and figure skaters Isabella Gamez and Aleksandr Korovin will begin their respective campaigns on Tuesday in a bid to put the Philippines on the medal stands of the 9th Asian Winter Games here.

The 15-year-old Rabe will be the youngest from among six competitors in the women’s freeski slopestyle event in a field spearheaded by Japanese Kanon Kondo and Kiho Sugarawa as well as Chinese veterans Han Linshan, Liu Mengting and Yang Ruyi.

Gamez and Korovin, on the other hand, are making their debut in the pair skating short program at the HIC Multifunctional Hall in downtown Harbin.

“We are excited and honored to be here representing the Philippines. We are confident with our training leading up to this as we keep the same mentality in every competition we go to, and we will continue to do the same in Harbin,” Gamez said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine women’s curling team absorbed its first setback after three games on Monday while the men’s side bounced back from a stinging defeat to Korea with a 4-1 victory over Kazakhstan.

Japan rallied in the last four ends to beat the Filipina curlers spearheaded by skip Kathleen Dubberstein and Leilani Sumbillo An, 6-4, at the Harbin Pingfang District Curling Arena.

The national quintet, which also featured vice skip Sheila Mariano, lead Anne Bonache and alternate Jennifer dela Fuente, grabbed the second and third ends for a 4-1 advantage before Japan’s Ai Matsunaga and Suzune Yasui connived in wiping out the deficit.

With a 2-1 record following a 13-1 blowout triumph over Qatar on Sunday night, the women’s national team faces Kazakhstan and Thailand on Tuesday followed by host China and powerhouse Korea on the next day.