Written by 
By MARK REY MONTEJO
Fil-American Peter Groseclose made history after winning a bronze medal in the International Skating Union (ISU) Junior World Cup 2 over the weekend in Bormio, Italy.
The 17-year-old Groseclose breezed through the ice and registered 41.73 seconds to take the third spot of 500-meter final and become the first Filipino to win the speed skating meet.
“Peter Groseclose just skated his way into the record books, clinching bronze in the 500m at the ISU Junior World Cup in Bormio, Italy—out of 47 of the world’s best!” Philippine Skating Union (PHSU) wrote on its social media post.
“This isn’t just a personal victory; it’s a monumental moment for Philippine skating as the FIRST-EVER medal in an ISU World Cup event,” it added. “The future of Philippine speed skating is brighter than ever—this is only the beginning. Congratulations, Peter! The nation is cheering for you!”
Aside from his achievement, the Tarzana, California native also eclipsed his performance last year in the Netherlands where he bowed out in the quarterfinals.
Groseclose finished behind South Korea’s Minseung Koo (41.15) and Canada’s Victor Chartrand (41.17), who copped the gold and silver medals, respectively.
Earlier this year, Groseclose and two other Philippine skaters etched their names as the first PH trio to see in action at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon, South Korea.
There, Groseclose almost got into the podium, but had an unfortunate collision with China’s Zhang Bohao that led him to a last-place finish in the five-player final of the same event.