In a tragic turn of events, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics after failing to make the weight for her 50 kg gold medal bout.
The Indian Express quoted sources who revealed that Vinesh Phogat was approximately 100 gram over the permissible limit, leading to her potential disqualification. Under competition rules, this would render her ineligible for even a silver medal, leaving the 50 kg category with only gold and bronze winners.
An official announcement is expected later today. Despite making the weight for Tuesday’s bouts, wrestlers are required to remain within their weight category on both days of the competition.
The Struggle to Maintain Weight
The Indian Express reports that Vinesh Phogat, who had reached the final against all odds, was about 2 kilos overweight on Tuesday night. She spent a sleepless night trying various methods — jogging, skipping, and cycling — to shed the excess weight. However, these efforts proved insufficient. The Indian delegation even pleaded for additional time to allow her to lose the final 100 gram, but their request was denied.
A Familiar Challenge
This isn’t the first time Vinesh Phogat has faced difficulties making weight in the 50 kg category, which is lower than her usual 53 kg class. She had a similar struggle during the Olympic qualifiers, narrowly making the cut.
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On Tuesday, Vinesh Phogat made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the Olympic final. She stunned world number 1 and favourite Yui Susaki of Japan, followed by two more tactically brilliant victories over wrestlers from Ukraine and Cuba.
Vinesh Phogat was scheduled to face Sarah Hildebrandt in the final, a wrestler she has a favourable head-to-head record against. However, due to the weight issue, the American will now be awarded the gold medal, leaving Phogat to return home empty-handed.
