From protest to podium: Anti-climax for Vinesh Phogat as weight issue ends Olympic hopes

Guwahati, August 7: All hopes of India securing its first silver or gold medal at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 were dashed on Wednesday when wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the much-anticipated final of the 50 kg category for being overweight by 100 grams.

Phogat had stormed into the finals after defeating defending champion and world no. 1 Yui Susaki of Japan in the opener and Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-final.

Unfortunately, India's celebrations were short-lived as the disqualification due to the weight issue crushed all hopes.

According to Article 11 of the United World Wrestling's rule book, an athlete who fails to meet the permissible weight cut is eliminated from the tournament.

“If an athlete does not attend or fail the weigh-in (the 1st or the 2nd weigh-in), he will be eliminated from the competition and ranked last, without rank (Exception: cf. Article 56 - Medical Service Intervention),” the rule book states.

The wrestling event for each weight category spans two days, with weigh-ins conducted on both days. While Phogat's weight was within limits yesterday when she reached the final, today it was not.

According to the rules, to be eligible for a medal, an athlete's weight must be within limits on both days; otherwise, disqualification ensues.

The Indian wrestler had come a long way to clinch her maiden Olympic medal after being at the centre of a controversy involving former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexually harassing female athletes.

Phogat was one of the athletes who protested against him in 2023, demanding his removal from the post.

From being dragged on the streets of her country to just a match away from clinching her first Olympic medal, Phogat's journey was arduous. Tragically, she missed the opportunity due to being overweight.