Catantan loses gold, earns world respect

Samantha Catantan may have lost a chance at the gold medal but she earned the respect of the world following her gallant performance in the women’s foil event of the Paris Olympics last Sunday.

Philippine Sports commissioner Walter Torres said Catantan made a lot of heads turn after shocking No. 65 Mariana Pistoia of Brazil before pushing World No. 2 Arianna Errigo of Italy to the limit before bombing out of contention.

Torres, also a distinguished fencer who represented the country in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, said the No. 266-ranked Catantan could have pulled the rug from under Errigo if not for the red card given to her.

“Despite their world ranking, it was an evenly-matched bout. The No. 1 seed even struggled all throughout. If not for the red card that gave Errigo the winning point, I believe Sam would have tied the match at 14,” said Torres in an online exchange with DAILY TRIBUNE shortly after witnessing Catantan’s 12-15 loss to Errigo in the Round of 32 at the Grand Palais in Paris.

“Sam once again displayed a high-level of fencing and made a name for herself here. Her performance gained the admiration and respect not only of Errigo and Pistoia but of the whole fencing community.”

Catantan’s journey to Paris was littered with tears and challenges.

After a fruitful stint at Penn State in the US National Collegiate Athletic Association, she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while competing in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, forcing her to settle for just a silver medal and missing out some key international events.

Upon recovery, Catantan flew back to the United States and finished 10th out of 24 fencers in the US NCAA, boosting her morale for the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifier in April in the United Arab Emirates.

In the qualifiers, she booked a thrilling 15-14 win over Sofiya Aktayeva of Kazakhstan to secure her slot in the Paris Olympics.

Torres, the first Filipino to win in the Summer Games, believes that Catantan can use her Olympic experience as a springboard for bigger challenges ahead.

He added that with the Los Angeles Olympics still four years away, the 22-year-old Catantan still has a lot of time left to hone her craft and reach her peak.

“She showed lots of potential. She will definitely come back stronger,” Torres said.