Winter Olympics 2022: Best Reactions, Tributes After Donovan Carrillo Makes Mexico Proud in Beijing

Donovan Carrillo made history on Monday after he became the first Mexican figure skater to participate in the Winter Olympics in 30 years. Not resting on that accomplishment, the 22-year-old also made sure to take advantage of the opportunity and make his home country proud.

Naturally, a lot of people were ecstatic about his accomplishment. In fact, it's not only his fans from his native country who are rooting for him, as people from various parts of the globe have been supportive of him after learning his story.

Mexico in the Winter Olympics

Born and raised in Mexico, Carrillo is the first male figure skater to represent the country in the Winter Olympics since 1992. That is a three-decade wait, so it's not a surprise why a lot of Mexicans are already happy just to have a representative in the event.

However, it wasn't an easy road to say the least. Since Mexico is more of a soccer/football nation, one can only imagine how difficult it is to do other sports--let alone one that requires ice.

That is the reason why Carrillo had to practice in a shopping mall ice rink, which is by no means of Olympic size and quality. Against all odds, however, he made his way to Beijing. He qualified in the Winter Olympics 2022 after finishing 20th during the 2021 World Championships, which is a record for for a Mexican male skater in the competition, per 9News.

On Monday, he stepped foot on the ice and quickly made his mark. In his short program performance where he pulled off a quad lutz and a triple axel, he managed to score a career-best 79.69.

It was enough for him to get through to the next round of the competition, making it to the free skate on Thursday. While things will only get tougher for him as he faces off against the likes of Nathan Chen (USA) and Yuzuru Hanyu (Japan), his accomplishment remains a big step for his nation.

Carrillo, who served as the flag-bearer of Mexico during the Olympics opener, is just one of four athletes representing the country in the event. He is joined by Rodolfo Dickson and Sarah Schleper for alpine skiing, and Jonathan Soto for cross-country skiing.

Donovan Carrillo Winter Olympics 2022: Best Reactions, Tributes

Tons of praises and tributes poured in for Carillo after his Olympic debut. A lot of people expressed their admiration for him and the journey he went through to reach where he is now.

"DONOVAN CARRILLO I WILL LITERALLY CRY. YOU KILLED IT OUT ON THE ICE TODAY," one fan wrote on Twitter.

Another user shared a video of Carrillo's celebration after he got his score and made it past the first round. His hyped reaction speaks volumes on how much it meant to him.

Others who have been following his journey in the Winter Olympics 2022 couldn't help but share how proud they are to see him succeed. Several people shared tweets of compliments and vowed to keep cheering for him when he takes the ice the next time around.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Angelo Walter

WATCH: Donovan Carrillo I First Mexican Olympic figure skater in 30 years - From Olympics