August 7th 2024.
India's Vinesh Phogat, an accomplished wrestler, has unfortunately been disqualified from her Olympic gold medal match on Wednesday night. Despite her hard work and dedication, she was deemed 100 grams overweight and therefore ineligible to compete in the final match. This news comes as a disappointment not only to Phogat but also to her supporters and the entire Indian delegation.
Phogat, who was scheduled to face Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States in the gold medal match, had been struggling with her weight leading up to the weigh-in. She was approximately 1kg over the limit on Tuesday night and tried various methods to shed the excess weight, including staying up all night and doing physical activities such as jogging, skipping, and cycling. However, despite her and her support staff's best efforts, she was still slightly over the weight limit on Wednesday morning.
Her coach, Virender Dahiya, expressed his regret and shared that they had worked hard to bring her weight down but unfortunately it was not enough. As a result, Phogat is not only out of the running for the gold medal, but she also cannot win the silver, which means the women's 50kg category will only have a gold and bronze medalist.
Phogat, who made history as India's first-ever female wrestler to reach an Olympic final, had an impressive run leading up to the final match. She defeated Japan's Yui Susaki, the world No.1 and reigning Olympic champion, in the semi-final on Tuesday. Phogat also beat Yusneylis Guzman of Cuba and European champion Oksana Livach of Ukraine in the quarter-final.
The Indian delegation appealed for Phogat to be granted additional time to make weight, but unfortunately, their request was rejected. In a statement, the Indian Olympic Association expressed their regret and asked for privacy for Phogat during this difficult time. They also urged everyone to focus on the ongoing competitions and respect Phogat's privacy.
For those unfamiliar with how Olympic wrestling weigh-ins work, it takes place every morning and lasts for 30 minutes. On the second morning of the concerned weight category, only the wrestlers participating in the repechages and finals have to attend the weigh-in, which lasts for 15 minutes. The only uniform allowed during the weigh-in is the singlet, and there is no weight tolerance for it. Wrestlers also have the right to step on the scale multiple times during the weigh-in period.
Phogat usually competes in the 53kg category and had to closely monitor her weight throughout the Paris Games. She had been exercising throughout Tuesday evening in an attempt to lose 2kg. Despite her unfortunate disqualification, she received a message of support from India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who praised her as a champion and an inspiration to all Indians. He also urged her to come back stronger, knowing her resilience and determination to face challenges head-on.
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