Samantha Catantan, the sole Filipino fencer to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics, is set to embark on a two-week training camp in Venice, Italy.
The camp will be conducted under the guidance of her Penn State University coach, Matteo Zennaro, who organized the fencing sessions to ensure Catantan’s peak performance.
Following her training in Venice, Catantan will proceed to Metz, France, where she will join her fellow Filipino Olympians.
In Metz, her preparations will continue under the watchful eye of her longtime mentor, Rolando ‘Amat’ Canlas. These sessions are crucial as Catantan gears up for the fencing competition set to begin on July 28, just two days after the Opening Ceremony, with 34 top fencers competing in the women’s individual foil category.
After enjoying a three-week vacation filled with family gatherings, activities with supporters and sponsors, and the processing of travel documents, Catantan took off for Italy on Wednesday night.
During her break, she also had the chance to meet Percival Alger, a notable Filipino fencer who competed in the individual sabre event at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, and PSC Commissioner Wawit Torres, who competed in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Alger, who placed 37th out of 40 participants in Seoul, was recently in Manila to receive an award alongside Catantan and Torres at the College of St. Benilde’s Sports and Dorm Complex.
Both Alger and Torres extended their best wishes to Catantan as she prepares for her Olympic debut.
The 22-year-old Catantan secured her spot in Paris by clinching the gold medal in women’s foil at the Asian & Oceania Olympic Qualification Tournament last April in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.