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Vinesh Phogat disqualified from competing in finals at Paris Olympics, misses historic medal
Vinesh had scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the gold medal bout
India’s Vinesh Phogat after defeating Ukraine’s Oksana Livach in the women’s freestyle 50kg Quarterfinal match at the Paris Olympic Games 2024, in Paris on August 6, 2024
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Indian contingent was in for a shock as wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was on her way to become the country’s first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final by defeating World and Olympic 50kg champion Yui Susaki on Tuesday night, was eliminated for being overweight ahead of her final bout against USA’s Sarah Ann Hildebrandt on Wednesday (August 7, 2024).
Also Read: Paris Olympics LIVE updates
“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 by the contingent at this time. The Indian team requests you respect Vinesh’s privacy. It would like to focus on the competitions on hand,” the Indian Olympic Association said in a statement.
Vinesh was found to be overweight by exactly 100gm during the weigh-in this morning, Indian women’s chief coach Virender Dahiya told The Hindu.
“The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Sanjay Singh and the IOA officials are in touch with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United World Wrestling (UWW) over the issue,” Dahiya said, adding that the weight of Antim Panghal, who would compete in 53kg on Wednesday, was within the limits.
“Last night [Vinesh’s] her weight was up by one kg. We and her personal support staff worked to cut it down. Unfortunately, it was slightly above the limit,” Dahiya said.
Vinesh hospitalised
Meanwhile, WFI president Sanjay Singh informed that Vinesh has been hospitalised due to dehydration
What does UWW say?
According to UWW’s Article-11 on weigh-in, “For all competitions, the weigh-in is organized each morning of the concerned weight-category. The weigh-in and the medical control last 30 minutes.
“The second morning of the concerned weight category only the wrestlers who participate in the repechages and finals have to come for the weigh-in. This weigh-in will last 15 minutes.
“The only uniform allowed for the weigh-in is the singlet…No weight tolerance will be allowed for the singlet.
“Throughout the entire weigh-in period, wrestlers have the right, each in turn, to get on the scale as many times as they wish. If an athlete does not attend or fails the weigh-in (the 1st or the 2nd weigh-in), he/she will be eliminated from the competition and ranked last, without rank.”
There can be exceptions on medical grounds, though.
Vinesh lost weight to compete in 53kg
Vinesh, a two-time World championships bronze medallist in 53kg, had to drop down to 50kg after Antim secured the 53kg quota place by winning the World championships bronze last year. As the WFI was suspended and the ad-hoc body was running the show, there was confusion over whether she would get a chance to challenge Antim for the Paris spot when an elected body of the WFI assumed charge. This made Vinesh to compete in the 50kg selection trials for the Olympic qualifiers and eventually she won the quota place.
However, dropping down to 50kg was always a big challenge for her as she needed to cut down nearly seven to eight kg of her body weight to fit into the minimum weight category in the Olympics.
“I will have to manage my weight a lot better. I have brought myself down to 50kg after so long so I will try and maintain this as much as I can. It’s not easy for me not to put on weight because my muscle mass is very high,” Vinesh told PTI in April after winning the 50kg quota for India.
Now, with the never-before incident of Vinesh getting disqualified has denied India a medal.
Despite being a medal favourite, Vinesh has already suffered heartbreaks at the Rio Olympics and Tokyo Games.
Nistula Hebbar adds from New Delhi:
According to sources,Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to IOA president P.T. Usha and sought first hand information from her on the issue and the options India has in the wake of Vinesh’s setback.
Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India's pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian.
Today’s setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing.
At the same time, I know that you epitomise resilience. It has always…— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2024
Vinesh Phogat will bounce back: Amit Shah
Vinesh Phogat's setback in the Olympics has certainly broken the hopes of millions of Indians. She has a brilliant sporting career, shining with the glory of defeating the world champion. This misfortune is merely an exception in her trailblazing career, from which I am sure she…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 7, 2024
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