Young Filipino skater Ludwig Hans Carizo, affectionately called “Viggy” by his friends, has been making a strong impression at the camp. Ludwig claimed victory in an interactive quiz, outscoring his rivals by six points and earning a cap from the OCA. The gray accessory has since become his lucky charm — he hasn’t taken it off during training.
The 12-year-old from Manila is a true ball of energy. Together with fellow skater Dawn Jasmine Gothong, he proudly represents the Philippines at this nine-day camp, which has brought together athletes from 20 countries and regions across Asia.
“I first dreamed of becoming a figure skater after watching Michael Martinez — the first Filipino to compete in the Winter Olympic Games,” Ludwig shared. Back in 2018, when Martinez skated at the PyeongChang Olympics, Ludwig was just five years old.
Jasmine, meanwhile, joined figure skating “just out of curiosity,” but is now deeply passionate about the sport and hopes to inspire other girls back home in the Philippines.
Both young athletes were selected by the Philippine Skating Union to take part in the first joint project of the CAIC, OCA and ISU.
“The facilities here are amazing!” said national coach Franklin Masayon. “In the Philippines, we only have two ice rinks — one in Manila and one in Cebu — and both are mainly used for public skating.” He was particularly impressed by the Harbin Ice Palace, with its two full-sized rinks and state-of-the-art equipment.
“Figure skating isn’t the most popular sport back home,” Ludwig admitted. “But for me, the ice is freedom. And I love mastering the difficult elements — the jumps and the spins.”
His idols are Japanese legend Yuzuru Hanyu and American skater Jason Brown. “Thinking about them keeps me moving forward,” the young Filipino said with determination. “They inspire me to become better.”
It seems that Ludwig has already scored his most important victory — he thinks like a true champion.
