The unexpected happened: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Olympics in Paris for failing to weigh in for her gold medal bout in 50 kg. According to reports, Phogat was disqualified because she weighed 100 grams more than the permitted maximum. As a result, she will not be qualified for a silver medal; therefore, in the 50 kg category, the only medals available are gold and bronze.
“It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares the news of Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Women’s Wrestling 50 kg class. Despite the team’s efforts through the night, she was a few grams over 50 kg this morning. No further comments will be made by the contingent at this time. The Indian team requests respect for Vinesh’s privacy and will focus on the ongoing competitions,” stated the Indian Olympic Association.
🚨 It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women’s Wrestling 50kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning. No further comments will be made…
— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) August 7, 2024
Why Vinesh Phogat was disqualified?
The Indian delegation asked for more time for Phogat to achieve the weight criteria, but this request was denied. This challenge is familiar to Phogat, who often competes in the 53 kg category and encountered a similar situation during the Olympic qualifiers.
As the first Indian woman wrestler to make it to an Olympic final, Vinesh Phogat created history on Tuesday. She won important matches against wrestlers from Cuba, the Ukraine, and Japan’s Yui Susaki, the current world champion. In the championship match, she was scheduled to face Sarah Hildebrandt, a wrestler she previously defeated. Still, Hildebrandt will take home the gold medal and Phogat will not return from the competition with a medal because of the weight problem.
It wasn’t the first time she had faced an obstacle. She suffered an injury at the Rio Olympics in 2016, was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, and was disqualified at the Paris Olympics in a tragic sequence of circumstances.
