Women's Wrestler Vinesh Phogat Disqualified Ahead Of Olympic Final After Pulling Off Stunning Upset
From glory to absolute heartbreak; that's what has become the story for India's Vinesh Phogat at the 2024 Olympics.
Phogat began her run in the 50-kilogram division of women's wrestling on Tuesday against Yui Susaki, a five-time world champion who entered the match with a record of 82-0 on the international stage. The gold medal in Paris was very much Susaki's to lose, but in comeback fashion, Phogat pulled off the unthinkable and handed the 25-year-old her fourth loss since she was in fifth grade.
To say Phogat was riding high after her stunning upset of Susaki would be an understatement, and she rode the momentum all the way into the gold medal match scheduled for Wednesday night.
Unfortunately for Phogat, she won't step on the mat for the final on Wednesday after being disqualified for not making weight.
Team India announced on social media early Wednesday that Phogat is out of the gold medal match after missing weight by only a few grams.
"It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women’s Wrestling 50kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning," the announcement said.
Phogat had been absolutely dominant leading into the final, winning her quarterfinal match against Ukraine’s Oksana Livach 7-5 and shutting out Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semifinal.
To add another layer of pain to the situation for Phogat, she became the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic final, yet doesn't get to fight for a gold medal due to being over 50-kg by just a couple of grams.