3 days ago
Returning Maxine Esteban captures silver in African tilt
Paris 2024 Olympics - Grand Palais, Paris, France - July 28, 2024. Pauline Ranvier of France in action against Maxine Isabel Esteban of Ivory Coast. (REUTERS/Albert Gea)
Maxine Esteban returned from a long injury layoff in style, winning a silver medal in the women's individual foil category of the 23rd African Fencing Championships.
The Filipino-Ivorian fencing star came back to action after eight months with her last competition being the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she finished 23rd overall before taking time off to nurse a nagging back injury.
'This medal means everything—it's proof that patience and recovery pay off,' Esteban said.
The 24-year-old Esteban was impressive in her return, pulling off a dominant 15-3 against Algeria's Malek Tantast in the Round of 16 before gutting out a 15-12 win against Egypt's Jana Ehab in the quarterfinals.
She then eliminated another Egyptian bet in Malak Hamza, 15-8, in their semifinals duel. Esteban, however, fell to Sara Hossny in the finals to take home the silver.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
