OLYMPIC hopeful and fencer Samantha Catantan is relieved that she can compete once again without feeling any pain after being sidelined for nine months to undergo surgery and rehabilitation for an ACL injury.
In her first comeback competition, Catantan finished 75th in the Table of 64 of the Fencing Gear FIE Foil Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., an Olympic ranking meet, last weekend.
“I’m very happy with my performance, especially considering this was my international comeback tournament. It may not have been the best result but I’m proud of the progress I’ve made and the level of fencing I achieved in the competition,” she said in a recent TV interview.
After a week’s breather, the Penn State University foil varsity mainstay is back in harness as her school advanced to the three-day US NCAA Fencing Championships unfolding today in Columbus, Ohio.
While focused on her NCAA return, she still aspires to compete in the Olympics, especially after former national teammate Maxine Esteban, now flying the colors of Ivory Coast, qualified for the Paris Summer Games through the same Washington tournament.
With only one Olympic slot up for grabs in the women’s foil event, Catantan will go through the eye of the needle eye when she sees action in the Asia-Oceania Olympic qualifying meet set April 27 to 28 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
