Michael Christian Martinez's mother has revealed that her family had to mortgage their house to fund her son's 2014 Winter Olympics participation.

The 17-year-old Martinez is the first ever skater to represent the Philippines in the Games and advanced to Friday's free programme in Sochi.

"My house is mortgaged," Russia Today quotes his mother, Maria Teresa Martinez, as saying. "It's a crazy investment."

However, it has been reported in the Filipino media that Martinez eventually received financial support from the private sector to compete in Russia.