Samantha Catantan Explained

Birth Date:1 February 2002
Full Name:Samantha Kyle Catantan
Honorific Suffix:OLY
Country:Philippines
Weapon:Foil
Hand:Right-handed
Natlteam:2017–present
Fieranking:Current ranking

Samantha Kyle Catantan (born February 1, 2002) is a Filipina right-handed foil fencer. Representing the Philippines, she made her Olympic debut at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, the first Filipino fencer at the Olympics since Barcelona 1992.[1] [2]

Early life and education

Samantha Catantan was born on February 1, 2002[3] to Jon and Aileen Catantan and has three sisters.

Catantan was a product of the Quezon City Sports Enhancement Program (QCSEP) of Quezon City councilor Joseph Juico.[4] [5] [6] She would first get involved in fencing under QCSEP when she was nine years old.[4]

Catantan studied high school at the University of the East.[7] She graduated from senior high school in November 2020.[8]

She would then move to the United States to attend Pennsylvania State University where she would pursue a master's degree in accounting after earning a Bachelor of Accountancy degree.[9]

Career

High school

Catantan was part of the high school or junior team of the University of the East (UE). In her final year in 2020, she was named Season 82 MVP for the UE Junior Warriors.[7] [10] She would lead the Junior Warriors' in six of their nine straight championships.[11] At UE, national team coach Rolando Canlas was her mentor.[8]

College

Catantan was recruited to be a fencer of Pennsylvania State University which competes in the U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).[12] [13] She would participate in the invitationals and would eventually fence for the Nittany Lions at the competition proper of the 2021 NCAA Fencing Championships, becoming the first homegrown Filipino to do so.[14]

Catantan would end with a third-place trophy and an All-America selection in the women's foil.[15] She was also named Most Valuable Player for her university's fencing team for that season.[16]

Catantan would be eligible to compete until 2025. In 2024, she would clinch a berth in championship rounds after finishing second in the Mid-Atlantic/South Regionals.[17] [18]

National team

Catantan represents the Philippines in international competitions. She would debut for her country at age 15, when she won a silver at the 2017 SEA Games.[19] She would compete in subsequent editions of the regional games with her best result being at the 2021 edition in Vietnam where she clinched a gold medal.[20]

She would win a gold in the 2019 Asian Under-23 Fencing Championship in Bangkok, Thailand.[21] [22]

Catantan qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris through the Asia and Oceania Zonal Qualifying Tournament despite enduring an injury in the final.[23]

Personal life

Her three sisters are fencers; two of which (Ysah and Sophia) are also part of the Philippine national team.[16] [19] She hails from Quezon City.[16]

After suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the 2024 Summer Olympics, she underwent a successful anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction at St. Luke's Medical Center – Global City.[24] It was the same injury during the 2023 SEA Games.[25]

Medal record

SEA Games

YearLocationEventPosition
2017 Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaIndividual Women's foil2nd[26]
2019 Pasay, PhilippinesIndividual Women's foil3rd[27]
2019 Pasay, PhilippinesTeam Women's foil3rd[28]
2021 Hanoi, VietnamIndividual Women's foil1st
2021 Hanoi, VietnamTeam Women's foil2nd[29]
2023 Phnom Penh, CambodiaIndividual Women's foil2nd[30]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Navarro . June . 2024-03-12 . Samantha Catantan ready for Olympic qualifier . 2024-04-27 . Philippine Daily Inquirer . en.
  2. Web site: Valderrama . Aeron Paul . 2024-04-27 . Sam Catantan ends 32-year drought, secures Philippines' Olympic Fencing spot . 2024-04-27 . Tiebreaker Times . en-US.
  3. Web site: Catantan, Samantha Kyle . Fédération Internationale d'Escrime . 28 April 2024.
  4. News: Agcaoili . Nicole . Filipino Olympian Sam Catantan holds fencing clinic . 26 June 2024 . ABS-CBN News . 9 June 2024. en, fil.
  5. News: Atayde backs PH Olympic fencer, grassroots development . 26 June 2024 . Manila Bulletin . 20 May 2024 . en.
  6. News: QC backs Catantan Olympic bid, fencing program . 26 June 2024 . Sports Interactive Network Philippines . 26 May 2024 . en.
  7. News: Guiral . Angela Nicole . Who is Samantha Catantan? Get to know the Filipina fencer at the Paris 2024 Olympics . 26 June 2024 . Tatler Asia . 16 May 2024 . en.
  8. News: Ramos . Gerry . Former UE juniors fencing star Sam Catantan now making waves at Penn State . 26 June 2024 . Sports Interactive Network Philippines . 9 March 2021 . en.
  9. News: Galvez . Waylon . Catantan can still fence for Penn State until 2025 . 28 April 2024 . The Manila Times . 16 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231222073001/https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/12/16/sports/catantan-can-still-fence-for-penn-state-until-2025/1924334 . 22 December 2023 . en.
  10. News: UE High School gives Sam Catantan golden send-off . 26 June 2024 . Tiebreaker Times . 14 February 2020.
  11. News: Batallones . Jeck . Olympics: Catantan 'looking forward' to being with Esteban in Paris Games . 26 June 2024 . ABS-CBN News . 21 May 2024.
  12. News: Villar . Joey . Pinay fencer making waves in US NCAA . 28 April 2024 . The Philippine Star . 11 March 2024.
  13. News: Suing . Ivan . Catantan books Paris ticket . 28 April 2024 . Daily Tribune . 27 April 2024 . en.
  14. News: Galvez . Waylon . Catantan looks to improve after impressive US NCAA debut . 26 June 2024 . Manila Bulletin . 30 March 2021 . en.
  15. News: Valderrama . Aeron Paul . Sam Catantan caps impressive rookie year with NCAA Fencing bronze . 26 June 2024 . Tiebreaker Times . 29 March 2021.
  16. News: Galvez . Waylon . Catantan resumes campaign in US . 26 June 2024 . Manila Bulletin . 12 August 2021 . en.
  17. News: Atencio . Peter . Catantan 11th for Penn State in US NCAA fencing tourney . 26 June 2024 . Manila Standard . 24 March 2024.
  18. News: Villar . Joey . Pinay fencer making waves in US NCAA . 26 June 2024 . The Philippine Star . 11 March 2024.
  19. News: Galvez . Waylon . 3 Catantans now part of PH fencing team . 26 June 2024 . The Manila Times . 2 February 2024 . en.
  20. News: Lojo . Michelle . Catantan finally wins elusive SEA Games fencing gold . 26 June 2024 . The Philippine Star . 14 May 2023.
  21. News: Meet the young gold medalist fencer to represent PHL in 2019 SEA Games: Samantha Catantan . 26 June 2024 . GMA News . 18 November 2019 . en.
  22. News: Atencio . Peter . Catantan rules Asian U-23 fencing . 26 June 2024 . Manila Standard . 25 October 2019.
  23. News: Dioquino . Delfin . Fearless fencer: Samantha Catantan overcomes injury to earn Paris Olympics berth . 26 June 2024 . Rappler . 27 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240427154335/https://www.rappler.com/sports/fencing-results-samantha-catantan-asia-oceania-zonal-olympic-qualifier-april-27-2024/ . 27 April 2024.
  24. News: Co. Chris. Catantan tagumpay ang operasyon. August 22, 2024 . The Philippine Star. August 22, 2024.
  25. News: Caacbay . Kennedy . Sam Catantan undergoes surgery after tearing ACL again in Paris 2024. August 18, 2024 . ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. August 17, 2024.
  26. News: Terrado . Reuben . Teen fencers Catantan, Esteban bag silver, bronze to add to PH medal tally in SEA Games . 26 June 2024 . Sports Interactive Network Philippines . 21 August 2017 . en.
  27. News: Leongson . Randolph . Rally falls short as fencer CJ Concepcion settles for individual sabre silver . 26 June 2024 . Sports Interactive Network Philippines . 3 December 2019 . en.
  28. News: Dioquino . Delfin . PH fencing teams add two SEA Games bronzes . 26 June 2024 . Rappler . 6 December 2019.
  29. News: Terrado . Reuben . Samantha Catantan forced to pull out of fencing final by injury . 26 June 2024 . Sports Interactive Network Philippines . 12 May 2023 . en.
  30. News: Fencing bet Sam Catantan suffers injury to settle for SEA Games silver . 26 June 2024 . GMA News . 12 May 2023 . en.

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