Southeast Asian sports at the 2018 Winter Olympics
According to statistical FOX Sports TV channel, there are about 9 athletes from Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand to compete in the competition in the 7 Winter Games. Find out who the athletes are, and what competitions are played.
Male athlete Julian Yee (Malaysia), 20, competes in performing ice skating. Yee was also the first Malaysian athlete in the history of the Winter Olympics and was the recipient of the Malaysian sports flag honor in the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympic Games. Yee competes in skating because of her mother’s encouragement and regular training at a shopping center in Petaling Jaya’s Sunway Pyramid in Selangor state.
Malaysia also has one more Winter Olympics male athlete this year, Jeffrey Webb, 19, who competes in downhill skiing. Webb was born in Kuala Lumpur, but came to the United States from the age of 5 and soon became familiar with skiing sports. For the first time, Webb won the right to participate in the Winter Olympics and compete in the Malaysian flag.
The opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang (South Korea) has just witnessed a moment of attracting world opinion when the appearance of US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stand together to send a message of peace.
The Philippines also contributed to two male athletes, Michael Christian Martinez, 21, figure skating, and Asa Miller, 17, who competed in the speedy content. In it, this is the second time Martinez has attended the Olympics after his debut in 2014 in Russia. Martinez also plays winter sports at shopping centers in the Philippines where there are major ice rinks for people to practice ice skating. And athlete Miller, though young, and for the first time at the Winter Olympics, has over 9 years of training and playing skiing because he is living in the United States.
Singapore also has a contestant who is a female athlete Cheyenne Goh, 18 years old, competing in speed skating. This is also the first time Goh attended Olympic, but due to living in Canada, the female athlete soon became familiar with ice skating sports. She also took an ice hockey competition, but then decided to switch to speed skating. Goh decided to wear Singapore for the Winter Olympics instead of Canada, also helping Singapore to appear at the Winter Olympics for the first time.
Meanwhile, Thailand has 4 athletes attending the Winter Olympics this year. However, all four of these athletes live in Europe and for many years have been practicing winter sports. Like the Chanloung brothers, Mark Chanloung (23 years old) and Karen Chanloung (21 years old) all live in Italy. Mark’s brother was also the holder of the Thai winter sports flag at Olympic Pyeongchang, playing cross-country skiing. Karen also competes in women’s cross-country skiing.
In addition, the female athlete Alexia Arisarah Schenkel represents Thailand for the first time at the Winter Olympics, with her father being Swiss and Thai mother. Ms. Alexia, 21 years old, took part in the skiing competition from the age of 13, and competed in the speedy content. The remaining Thai athlete is Nicola Zanon, 21, who also has an Italian father, and competes in speed skiing. Nicola has been advocated for 4 years by the Thai Skating Federation, representing Thailand to compete in the Winter Olympics
The FOX Sports channel said that the likelihood of Southeast Asian athletes winning the Winter Olympic medal is quite low, but their participation helped the regional sports map also named in the Winter Olympics as a worthwhile effort. As well as encouraging future athletes in Southeast Asia can also participate in the competition.