Gripping triumph nets Catantan Olympic berth

MANILA, Philippines — Nothing, not even a hurting left knee and a point deduction for a red card, could stop Filipino fencer Samantha Catantan from realizing her Olympic dream.

Armed with an iron will and a strong heart, Catantan turned back a taller, longer Sofiya Aktayeva of Kazakhstan in a gut-wrenching 15-14 victory in the women’s foil final of the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifier in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates Saturday.

That fateful night at the Zayed Sports Complex saw Catantan become first Philippine fencer to qualify to the quandrennial games since Walter Torres, now Philippines Sports Commission board member, made the 1992 Barcelona Games

The Penn State star also became the 12th Filipino to book a ticket to the French capital next to pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnasts Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan and Levi Jung-Ruivivar, boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, weightlifters Vanessa Sarno, John Ceniza and Elreen Ando, and rower Joanie Delgaco.

Talk about conquering tough odds, and Catantan outperformed even herself, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said of the fencer.

“Samantha Catantan rose beyond adversity and proved herself deserving of an Olympic spot,” Tolentino said. “She really fought for it to the end and I’m really happy to see her success just like the other Paris-bound Filipino athletes before her.”

It was a memorable one as the 22-year-old Catantan had to endure a point cut after being assessed a red card for failing to return on her guard line on time and trailed 12-9 and a sharp pain on her surgically-repaired ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) that she tore during last year’s Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia when the score was tied at 13.

After a medical timeout to address the issue, Catantan, still in excruciating pain, valiantly limped back to the piste, plodded on and courageously faced her Kazakh foe with the strength and power left in her body.

It produced perhaps the most unforgettable moment in her life as she won two of the last three points for the mammoth victory.

The moment she realized she had won, she fell to the mat, shed tears of joy and covered her face as a small but boisterous Filipino crowd celebrated in the stands.

It was a conquest that erased all the heartaches and stigma Catantan felt after coming two steps short from making the Tokyo Games.