SHOWING grace and flair, Michael Barbosa bagged two gold and two silver medals as the Philippines got off to a fine start in the 2007 Skate Asia yesterday at the SM Mall of Asia skating rink in Pasay City.

Barbosa, 9, skating out of SM Megamall, ruled the 9 mixed Figure 3 and 9-12 mixed Creative Figure 3 to emerge the top medal winner early in the annual event that attracted 637 skaters from 15 Asian countries and the United States.

Barbosa, however, bowed to Hong Kong's Wong Hou Lam of Festival Walk on Glacier skating rink in the 8-9 male Solo Competition and failed to earn the nod of the judges in the 9 male Free Figure 3 where he settled for the silver.

"I'm still on track," said Barbosa, a Grade 3 pupil from the University of the Philippines Integrated School who joined a total of 33 events, the most by any individual in the seven-day events.

"I'm not having a hard time because I had enough practice last summer. Also, I am training for three hours during my free days in school. The competition is tough, but I know I can do it," Barbosa said.

Also shining were Carmi Naomi Damian in the 12-16 female Figure 3, Shaira Penarubia in the 11 female Figure 1, Lindsay Garcia in the 12 female Figure 1, Michael Christian Martinez in the 7-10 mixed Figure 1, Julia Ignacio in the 11-12 female Figure 2, and Shaira Myron Salarda in the 6-7 female Figure 1 whose stellar performance impressed many.

Sanctioned by the Ice Skating Institute of America, the event is backed by SM Prime Holdings, Philippine Skating Union, Pepsi, Dept. of Tourism, Accel, Philippine Airlines, Shure Travel and Tours and Yehey.com.

Other early winners in the championship featuring 2,798 events were Filipinos Nina Michelle Torres in the 22-28 mixed Figure 1, Beatrice Fajardo in the 13-14 female Figure 1, John Carlo Ingeniero in the 22 male Creative Figure 1;

Bien Patrick Bergonia in the 14-17 mixed Creative Figure 3, Alarice Maia Go in the 11-16 female Figure 4, Nathalia Gabriel Feliciano in the 6 female Creative Figure 1, Avamei Rusia in the 31-37 mixed Figure 1;

Talisa Dela Rosa in the 11-12 female Creative Figure 1, Nicole Melaine Molera in the 10-12 mixed Creative Figure 2, Nicole Arriana Rodriguez in the 12-13 female Solo Competition, Angela Biag in the 16-18 mixed Figure 1 and Anna Paticia Ruiz in the 10-12 female Figure 1 to virtually overshadow their foreign counterparts.

Indonesians Alvira Keida Houwi Sunjaya, Kezia Lukito and Jacquelyn Christian also won in the 8 female Figure 1, 8-9 female Solo Competition and 11 female Solo Competition, respectively, while Brian Lee Ting Chin in the 8 male Solo Competition and Freda Kwan in 34-44 female Solo Competition joined their compatriot, Wong, in bringing honors for Hong Kong.

The Philippines is the defending champion, having dominated last year's event in Shenzen, China, with 521 gold, 293 silver and 219 bronze medals.

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