Samantha Catantan

Samantha Catantan
Catantan in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Samantha Kyle Catantan
Born	(2002-02-01) February 1, 2002 (age 22)
Sport
Country	Philippines
Weapon	Foil
Hand	Right-handed
Years on national team	2017–present
FIE ranking	Current ranking
Medal record Women's foil Representing  Philippines Southeast Asian Games 2021 Vietnam Women's foil 2023 Cambodia Women's foil 2021 Vietnam Team foil 2017 Kuala Lumpur Women's foil 2019 Philippines Women's foil 2019 Philippines Team foil

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.^[4][5]

Catantan was a product of the Quezon City Sports Enhancement Program (QCSEP) of Quezon City councilor Joseph Juico.^[6][7][8] She would first get involved in fencing under QCSEP when she was nine years old.^[6]

Catantan studied high school at the University of the East.^[9] She graduated from senior high school in November 2020.^[10]

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.^[11]

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.^[9][12] She would lead the Junior Warriors' in six of their nine straight championships.^[13] At UE, national team coach Rolando Canlas was her mentor.^[10]

College

Catantan was recruited to be a fencer of Pennsylvania State University which competes in the U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).^[14][15] 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.^[16]

Catantan would end with a third-place trophy and an All-America selection in the women's foil.^[17] She was also named Most Valuable Player for her university's fencing team for that season.^[4]

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.^[18][19]

National team

Catantan's incentive from President Bongbong Marcos for her participation at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

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.^[5] 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.^[4][5] She hails from Quezon City.^[4]

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

Year	Location	Event	Position
2017	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Individual Women's foil	2nd[26]
2019	Pasay, Philippines	Individual Women's foil	3rd[27]
2019	Pasay, Philippines	Team Women's foil	3rd[28]
2021	Hanoi, Vietnam	Individual Women's foil	1st[20]
2021	Hanoi, Vietnam	Team Women's foil	2nd[29]
2023	Phnom Penh, Cambodia	Individual Women's foil	2nd[30]

See also

• List of Pennsylvania State University Olympians

References

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

External links

• Penn State Nittany Lions bio
• Samantha Catantan at the International Fencing Federation