Philippines competed at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon, South Korea, from January 19 to February 1, 2024. This is Philippines's third appearance at the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
| Philippines at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC code | PHI |
| NOC | Philippine Olympic Committee |
| in Gangwon, South Korea 19 January 2024 – 1 February 2024 | |
| Competitors | 3 in 3 sports |
| Flag bearer | Laetaz Rabe[a] |
| Medals |
|
| Winter Youth Olympics appearances (overview) | |
Having took 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.
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-country skiing | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Freestyle skiing | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Short track speed skating | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Cross-country skiing
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]
- Classic & Skates
| Athlete | Event | Qualification | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Avery Balbanida | 7.5 km classical | — | |||||||
| Sprint freestyle | 3:44.34 | 69 | Did not advance | ||||||
Freestyle skiing
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]
- Slopestyle & Big Air
| Athlete | Event | Qualification | Final | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run 1 | Run 2 | Best | Rank | Run 1 | Run 2 | Run 3 | Best | Rank | ||
| Laetaz Rabe | Girls' big air | Withdrew | — | Did not advance | ||||||
| Girls' slopestyle | DNS | — | Did not advance | |||||||
Short track speed skating
The Philippines achieved 1 male quota at the 2023 World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships.[17] The slot was filled in by Peter Groseclose.[18]
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]
- Men
| Athlete | Event | Heats | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Peter Groseclose | 500 m | 42.019 | 1 Q | 41.329 | 1 Q | 41.697 | 1 Q | PEN | |
| 1000 m | 1:30.243 | 1 Q | 1:28.899 | 4 | Did not advance | ||||
| 1500 m | — | 2:20.575 | 5 | Did not advance | |||||