Marco Umgeher

Marco Imbang Umgeher (born 16 December 2001) is a Filipino-Austrian skier.

Marco was born on 15 December 16 2001 in Austria. His father, Hannes Umgeher, is Austrian businessman and the mother Gemma Francisco Imbang-Umgeher, is originally from Philippines. Gemma is a full-time housewife who had migrated to Austria in the late 1990s and earned her citizenship in 2000, a year before Marco was born. Marco has an older sister, Jessica Imbang Umgeher.

The family lives in Alland, Austria, where he attended a primary school from 2008 to 2012 and New Middle School for secondary studies from 2012 to 2016.

Marco has been skiing since the age of 5. He practices in Winter Slalom, Giant Slalom and Super-G and the school allows him to take days off during the race season. He began competing when he was 8. His elder sister, Jessica, does the public relations work to raise funds for his training and competition.

In 2009, he was placed third at the Bezirkblatter Children ski race in Hirschenkogel, Austria.

In 2012, he won a slalom race at the Schilowsky Kidscup Ost in Rohr im Gebirge, a village in Wiener Neustadt-Land district in Lower Austria. His winning streak continued over the years and he gained attention of the Austrian Skiing Association (ÖSV.) The following year, in 2013, he won giant slalom race at Lackenhof in Ötscher, Austria, and giant slalom race at Schilowsky Kidscup in Semmering, Austria.

In 2016 he won first place at the Lower Austrian Championship Combination and in the Lower Austrian Championship, Hochkar, Slalom

Marco is a dual-citizen of Austria and Philippines and represents Philippines in the World Cups and the Olympics. He is a member of Philippine Ski Federation since 2017. Philippine Sports Commission supported Marco after the he expressed his desire to represent the Philippines at the international events. Speaking with inquirer.net in 2017, he said:

I've always wanted to race in the World Cup and the Olympics under the Philippine flag...That's been my dream since I was little. It is with great pride to represent the country of my mother.

• 2012: 1st place, slalom race of Schilowsky Kidscup Ost (Rohr im Gebirge)
• 2013: 1st place, giant slalom race (Lackenhof; Ötscher); 1st place, giant slalom race of Schilowsky Kidscup (Semmering)
• 2014: 6th place, ski cross race, and 4th place, giant slalom race, at the 10th International UNIQA KIDSTROPHY (Zauchensee)
• 2015: 5th place, ski cross, and 5th place, giant slalom race, at the 11th International UNIQA KIDSTROPHY (Zauchensee)
• 2016: 3rd place, giant slalom race, national championship (Lackenhof; Ötscher)