HIDILYN TO ASA: HAVE PATIENCE

YANQING—ASA Bisquera Miller’s the lone Filipino qualifier in the Beijing Winter Olympics but he hasn’t gone short of getting all the motivation he needs.

“There’s no secret to success, but it takes a lot of patience to get one goal,” Tokyo Olympics weightlifting gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz told Miller on Sunday, five days before the opening ceremony on February 4.

Like Diaz, Miller was an unassuming 17-year-old when he made his Olympic debut four years ago in Pyeongchang.

“You have to use this experience to inspire you to be a better person, a better athlete, and do your best,” said Diaz, herself an innocent looking 17-year-old in her first Olympics in Beijing in 2008.

Diaz participated in four consecutive Olympics before she reached the top of the world when she won the women’s -59 kgs gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in July last year.

“It doesn’t matter how many times you try—first time, second time or third time…—but what matters most is you love what you’re doing and you don’t regret anything,” Diaz said. “Just do your best for yourself, for the country and for your sport, enjoy everything, every moment for yourself, Go Team Philippines!”

Miller is competing in giant slalom and slalom of men’s alpine skiing on February 13 and 16, respectively, at the Xiaohaituo Alpine Skiing Field also in Yanqing.

The Filipino-american finished 70th among 100 participants in giant slalom in Pyeongchang. He amassed 96 International Skiing Federation (FIS) points in slalom and 93 points in giant slalom to qualify for Beijing.