India’s Vinesh Phogat has been disqualified from her Olympic final in the women’s freestyle 50kg wrestling for being 100 grams overweight.
The 29-year-old was due to face Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States in the gold medal match on Wednesday evening.
But having failed to make the weight, Phogat is now not even eligible to win the silver medal, which means the women’s 50kg category will have just gold and bronze medal winners.
Phogat was approximately 1kg over the limit on Tuesday night. In a bid to shift the excess weight, she did not sleep during the night and tried jogging, skipping and cycling.
‘Last night her weight was up by 1kg. We and her personal support staff worked to cut it down. Unfortunately, it was slightly above the limit,’ Indian women’s chief coach, Virender Dahiya, told The Hindu on Tuesday morning.
On Wednesday morning, the Indian delegation asked Olympic officials for Phogat to be granted additional time after she was deemed overweight by 100g but their appeal was rejected.
‘It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women’s Wrestling 50kg class,’ read a statement from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
‘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.’
HOW OLYMPIC WRESTLING WEIGH-INS WORK
For all competitions, the weigh-in takes place each morning and lasts 30 minutes.
The second morning of the concerned weight category only the wrestlers who participate in the repechages and finals have to come for the weigh-in, which lasts 15 minutes.
The only uniform allowed for the weigh-in is the singlet. However, no weight tolerance is given for the singlet.
Throughout the entire weigh-in period, wrestlers have the right, each in turn, to get on the scale as many times as they wish.
If an athlete does not attend or fails the weigh-in they will be eliminated from the competition and ranked last, without a rank.
Phogat usually competes in the 53kg category and has been forced to keep a check on her weight throughout the Games in Paris.
On the way to becoming the first female Indian wrestler to reach the final of the Olympics, Phogat beat Japan’s Yui Susaki, the world No.1 and the reigning Olympic champion.
Phogat also beat Yusneylis Guzman of Cuba in the semi-final on Tuesday, as well European champion Oksana Livach of Ukraine in the quarter-final.
Following her disqualification, India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, sent a message of support to Phogat.
‘Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India’s pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian,’ Modi posted on X.
‘Today’s setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing.
‘At the same time, I know that you epitomise resilience. It has always been your nature to take challenges head on.
‘Come back stronger! We are all rooting for you.’
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