Catantan begins uphill battle in Paris

PARIS – The 2024 Olympics will be marked by the return of a Philippine fencer in the quadrennial games after 32 long years.

And add another bet who may have switched federations but would definitely still have her Filipino heritage in heart and mind as she fights in the piste.

Samantha Catantan and Maxine Esteban (carrying the Ivory Coast banner) are in a tough, tough mix in women’s foil but both are hopeful of pulling off a surprise in Sunday’s competition at Grand Palais here.

It’s a single elimination format (knockout play) with Catantan starting her chase of glory versus Brazilian Mariana Pistoia in the Round of 64, with the winner advancing to the next round versus Italian Arianna Errigo.

“If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it,” said the Penn State ace in US collegiate fencing.

Making the Olympics on a dramatic come-from-behind win over Kazakhstan’s Sofiya Aktayeva in the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifier final, the 22-year-old Catantan is now looking to shake up the Olympic field.

She lunges for points on the Grand Palais strip with much hope and determination coming from a Luxembourg camp where she got an array of training partners, including taller, stronger male fencers.

“It definitely boosted my confidence,” said Catantan.

In Catantan, the Philippines is represented in Olympic fencing for the first time since Walter Torres, now a member of the Philippine Sports Commission board, competed in the 1992 Barcelona Games.

As the highest-ranked fencer from the African zone, Esteban, meanwhile, gained outright Olympic qualification.

But the road to the top for the world No. 27 is neither easy.

First match for Esteban is no less than Tokyo silver medalist Pauline Ranvier in the round-of-32, the first obstacle she looks to hurdle in a bid to make the Top 20 of world rankings.

“While living out the Olympic dream is an achievement in itself, now that I am here, I would very much like to continue my fencing goals,” Esteban said.

“Definitely, winning a medal is the ultimate goal, but even if that becomes out of reach, I am hoping to at least continue building on my world ranking so I can make the most out of the experience here in Paris.