India’s Vinesh Phogat, who on Tuesday entered the final of the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling event at the Paris Olympics, was found overweight on the second day of the competition and has been disqualified from the Paris Olympics. As a result, she won’t contest in the final today and will miss a historic podium finish.
The statement by the Indian Olympic Associationi says: “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.”
Vinesh was scheduled to face USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt for the gold medal.
“She was found overweight by 100gm this morning (Wednesday). The rules do not allow this and she has been disqualified,” said an Indian coach.
Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to Vinesh in the semifinal, will replace the disqualified Indian in the final against the American.
“Vinesh failed second day weigh-in. According to the article 11 of the International Wrestling Rules, Vinesh (IND) will be replaced by the wrestler who lost against her in the Semifinal. Therefore Yusneylis Guzman Lopez (CUB) will compete in the Final,” the Paris Games organising committee said in a statement.
“Repechage Yui Susaki (Japan) vs Oksana Livach (Ukraine) will become bronze medal match,” it added.
Vinesh met the weight criteria for her bouts on Tuesday but the rules state that athletes should weigh within their weight category on both days of the event.
The report also says that Vinesh was 2kg overweight on Tuesday night and worked out almost the entire night in hope of meeting the weight criteria on the day of her final. But that didn’t materialise and requests by the Indian delegation to allow Vinesh some time to lose that extra 100 gm were not entertained.
Vinesh will now end up last in the standings in the 50kg event at the Paris Games.
She had famously defeated defending champion Yui Susaki of Japan in the pre-quarterfinals. Susaki had been unbeaten in her international career (82-0) before that match.
However, Vinesh’s is not the only case of disqualification beause of being overweight in the women’s 50kg event at the Paris Games.
On Tuesday, Italy’s Emanuela Liuzzi was also forced to forfeit her preliminary bout after being found overweight.
The intense overnight workout and drastic measures to reduce her weight led to Vinesh getting dehydrated, according to reports, and is receiving medical care in Paris.
Reacting to the entire episode that struck India’s campaign in Paris, PM Narendra Modi posted on X (formerly Twitter) to show his support for Vinesh. “Today’s setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing,” the PM wrote.
