MANILA, Philippines – Filipina fencer Samantha Catantan bucked an injury and a crucial penalty on her way to the Olympics.

Catantan earned her place in the Paris Games as she ruled the women’s foil category in the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifier in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday, April 27.

The former UAAP standout edged Kazakhstan’s Sofiya Aktayeva, 15-14, in the final to become the first fencer from the Philippines to qualify for the Olympics in over three decades since Walter Torres competed in the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Tested in every way possible in the finale, Catantan powered through and delivered an impassioned performance.

Catantan trailed 9-12 in the third and final round after she incurred a one-point penalty following a red card from the referee.

But the 22-year-old Catantan bounced back and scored four of the next five points to tie the count at 13-13.

The last point of that stretch, however, came at a cost as Catantan hurt her left knee off a lunge.

It was the same knee Catantan injured last year before her gold-medal match in the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Then worried of aggravating the injury, Catantan surrendered and settled for silver.

Catantan, though, refused to be denied this time as she opted to continue with the match against Aktayeva after a five-minute injury timeout.

After the two traded points for a 14-14 tie, Catantan pulled through and scored the final point that allowed her to book her ticket to Paris.

Overcome with emotions, Catantan fell on her knees and cried with her hands covering her face.

Catantan beat out 13 other fencers who were vying for the lone Olympic spot up for grabs in women’s foil.

She finished the pool round as the No. 4 seed and got a bye in the round of 16 before she disposed of Oman’s Israa Al Siyabi in the quarterfinals and South Korea’s Hong Sena in the semifinals. – Rappler.com