India’s Vinesh Phogat, who had advanced to the final of the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling event at the Paris Olympics, was disqualified after being found overweight on the second day of the competition. This disqualification means she will not compete in the final and misses a guaranteed podium finish.
The Indian Olympic Association stated: “Despite the best efforts, Vinesh weighed a few grams over 50kg this morning. No further comments will be made at this time.” The Indian team requested respect for Vinesh’s privacy and shifted focus to ongoing competitions.
Phogat was set to face USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt for the gold medal. According to the rules, there will now be no silver medal winner in this event, only a gold and two bronze medallists.
Reports indicate that while Vinesh met the weight criteria on Tuesday, she was 2kg over by night and worked out extensively, but couldn’t meet the weight requirement on the day of the final. Another wrestler, Italy’s Emanuela Liuzzi, was also disqualified for being overweight.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his support for Vinesh, acknowledging the setback and encouraging her resilience.
