Some sports officials leave for China Friday morning to guarantee the smooth participation of Fil-Am skier Asa Miller in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics set Feb. 4 to 20.
Chief of Mission Bones Floro and Athlete Welfare Officer Joebert Yu will be the first to arrive at the Chinese capital to ensure all the necessary logistics are in place before Miller arrives a few days later.
Miller, his father Kelly and Philippine Ski and Snowboard Federation President Jim Apelar are scheduled to fly from Los Angeles, California to Beijing on Sunday.
Philippine Skating Union President Nikki Cheng, who is designated as the delegations’ COVID-19 Liaison Officer, will also leave on Sunday from Manila.
Miller’s American coach Will Gregorak, meanwhile, will be arriving in China from the United States anytime next week.
“It’s all systems go for the departure of Team Philippines to Beijing,” Floro said.
“We have been complying with all the COVID-19 countermeasures and protocols for travel to the Beijing Olympic bubble and we made sure that Asa’s only concerns are his training and competitions.”
Miller is the country’s lone participant in the Winter Games where he will compete in the men’s slalom and giant slalom events in alpine skiing.
This would be his second Winter Olympics stint after debuting in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games where he finished 70th in the giant slalom.
Born in Oregon to an American father and a Filipina mother tracing her roots to Sta. Cruz, Manila, the 21-year-old Miller is scheduled to compete in his two events on Feb. 18 at the Xiaohaituo Alpine Skiing field in Yanqing District.