Wrestler Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement on Thursday, following her disqualification from the gold medal bout in the 50 kg women’s category at the Paris Olympics 2024.
The 29-year-old wrestler, the first Indian female to reach an Olympic final, was one match away from a historic gold after delivering stunning performances en route to the final. Unfortunately, she was disqualified after the mandatory morning weigh-in on Tuesday revealed she was overweight by 100 grams.
In a heartfelt post on X, Vinesh expressed her emotions in Hindi: “Ma Kusti (Mother, wrestling) won against me, I lost. Forgive me, your dream and my courage have been broken. I don’t have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024.
Vinesh had secured her place in the final with a 5-0 victory over her Cuban opponent, Yusneylis Guzman Lopez. Guzman Lopez replaced her in the final match and went on to win a silver medal. America’s Sarah Hildebrandt, who was originally set to face Vinesh, won the gold with a 3-0 score.
Vinesh has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a joint silver medal, with a decision expected today.
The wrestler from Haryana is a three-time Olympian, having competed in different weight categories across three Games. She competed in the 48 kg category at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and the 53 kg category at the Tokyo Games.
Vinesh boasts an impressive record, having won three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, 2018, and 2022 in different weight categories. She also became the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold at both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in 2018 and secured bronze medals at the World Wrestling Championships in 2019 and 2022.
Vinesh Phogat’s retirement marks the end of an illustrious career in wrestling. Her legacy as a trailblazer in Indian sports will be remembered for years to come.
