Philippine fencer Maxine Esteban joins Ivory Coast delegation, loses in Olympic debut

Philippine-born fencer Maxine Esteban joined the Ivory Coast delegation during the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday (Saturday morning in Manila).

Esteban faced France's Pauline Ranvier in the Table of 32 and lost with a score of 15-7, ending her Olympic journey.

Philippine representative Sam Catantan also exited the competition after losing to Italy's Arianna Errigo on the same day as Esteban began hers.

Esteban expressed mixed emotions upon her loss, acknowledging both her satisfaction at participating in the Olympics and disappointment with her performance.

Despite the setback, Esteban remains focused on achieving a top-20 world ranking and sees this experience as an opportunity for growth.