Filipino fencer Samantha Catantan is one of the 22 Filipino athletes who will carry the flag in the Paris Olympics 2024. –ART/MARLO CUETO Two Filipino fencers. Two separate paths to the Olympics.
Two different goals. The podium may be a bit far-fetched for Samantha Catantan and Maxine Esteban, but the former teammates have scribbled targets on their to-do lists when they take to the piste on Sunday in the women’s foil category of fencing in the Paris Olympics. Esteban has drawn up a definite plan: She wants to crack the top 20 in the world rankings of the International Fencing Federation.
“While living out the Olympic dream is an achievement in itself, now that I am here, I would very much like to continue my fencing goals,” the Filipino-Ivorian Esteban said. “Definitely, winning a medal is the ultimate goal, but even if that becomes out of reach, I am hoping to at least continue building on my world ranking so I can make the most out of the experience here in Paris.” “Making it to the top 20 definitely would be a step in that direction,” she added.
Esteban will play in the biggest match of her career so far on Sunday when she battles Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Pauline Ranvier, the hometown bet who is seeded 13th in the main draw. Maxine Esteban—CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Catantan, meanwhile, hopes to build momentum for a run at the next Olympics, which will be hosted by Los Angeles in the United States after taking a winded route to Paris. “I would rather make.