Mexican figure skater Donovan Carrillo wasn’t even born the last time his country had a figure skater compete in the Winter Olympics. That was 1992 when Riccardo Olavarrieta and Diana Encinas competed for the gold in Albertville. Neither one of them qualified for the free skate final.
In fact, Mexico has never won a medal of any color in the Winter Games, but that could change thanks to Carrillo.
The 22-year-old made history Tuesday when he advanced to the free skate, the first ever figure skater from Mexico to do so.
“Many people told me this was a crazy dream,” Carrillo said. “People were always laughing or telling me it wasn’t possible for a Mexican to qualify.”
Qualify he did, and he also carried the Mexican flag during the opening ceremony. Skating to fellow Mexican Carlos Santana’s hit song “Black Magic Woman,” he earned a personal best score of 79.69 during the short program, good for 19th overall. The top-24 advanced to Thursday’s free skate final.
“For me to be qualified for the free skating, it’s like a dream come true,” said Carrillo. “I didn’t want I to end. I wanted to keep skating and living the Olympic dream.”
Carrillo often has to share ice time with teenage girls at a local shopping center ice rink in Leon, Mexico, and he initially struggled to adjust to the much-larger Olympic rink in Beijing. He’s refused offers to train in the United States or Europe, preferring to remain home in Mexico.
Thursday he will skate for a chance at history. The odds of him winning a medal are long, but that won’t deter him. He’s already come farther than any other Mexican skater before him.
“This is for my family and all of Mexico. No matter the hardships that may present themselves to you, work hard and never give up.”
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