2024-08-07 18:35:02
Vinesh Phogat’s unlikely Olympic run came to an improbable end Wednesday morning when the Indian wrestler missed weight for the 50-kilogram gold medal match.
Phogat — who handed reigning Olympic champ Yui Susaki her first career international loss in Tuesday’s opening round — was bidding to become her country’s first woman to win an Olympic gold in any sport. She was set to wrestle Indiana native Sarah Hildebrandt in Wednesday night’s gold medal match.
Instead, Phogat has been disqualified from the tournament and will be replaced by Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman in the championship match. Phogat defeated Guzman 5-0 in Tuesday night’s semifinal match.
“It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women’s Wrestling 50kg class,” according to a statement from the Indian Olympic Association. “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.”
Guzman, the fourth Cuban woman to wrestle in the Olympics, is now the country’s first women’s freestyle medalist at the Games.
