Manila, Philippines, January 10, 2022: Alpine skier Asa Miller will fly the flag for the Philippines once again at the Winter Olympics in Beijing next month.
The 21-year-old Filipino-American made his Olympic debut in PyeongChang, Korea, in 2018 and has qualified for his second appearance, this time as the lone representative for the Philippines. He will compete in both the slalom and giant slalom after meeting the qualifying standards of the International Ski Federation (FIS).
His goal in Beijing is to improve on his 70th place in the giant slalom in PyeongChang and he feels he can do it with a few more years’ experience on the North American ski circuit behind him.
“I’m confident I’ll definitely place better,” Miller said.
“I do not have any particular result or goals at the moment. I’m not sure what my expectations are or how I will stack up against the rest of the competition but I’m really excited to see where I end up and just show what I have to offer.”
Now older and with more experience under his belt, Miller believes he now has a better grasp of the sport, where mental toughness is crucial.
“I’ve learned how to kind of handle stress and use my technique to my advantage - where I can know where I can trust myself and where I can take risks and where I need to be able to be safer with my decisions in my skiing,” Miller said.
The Portland, Oregon-born Miller, whose mother hails from Sta. Cruz, Manila, thanked his parents for helping sustain his skiing career since the previous Winter Olympics.
“I’m very excited to be representing the Philippines and the fact that we will have representation at the Games. I’m excited to go hold the flag and have the whole world watch. I cannot wait to show Filipino pride because we are prideful people.”
Source: @OlympicPHI/Rappler.com
