Following her disqualification, the Cuban wrestler replaced her in the final. Ultimately, Hildebrandt secured the gold, while Vinesh’s Olympic journey ended in disappointment as per United World Wrestling (UWW) rules, which placed her last. (Instagram/ Vinesh Phogat)
New Delhi: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s hopes for an Olympic medal came crashing down after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected her appeal against disqualification at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Phogat, 29, was disqualified from her women’s 50kg gold-medal bout after she was found to be 100 grams overweight before facing USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt. Expressing her disappointment, Vinesh posted a poignant image of herself lying on the mat, hands covering her forehead.
Earlier in the competition, Phogat made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to qualify for an Olympic wrestling final. She defeated Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semi-final, marking a significant achievement in Indian sports. Many expected Vinesh to become the second Indian female wrestler to claim an Olympic medal, following Sakshi Malik’s 2016 feat. However, fate took a different turn.
Following her disqualification, the Cuban wrestler replaced her in the final. Ultimately, Hildebrandt secured the gold, while Vinesh’s Olympic journey ended in disappointment as per United World Wrestling (UWW) rules, which placed her last.
Vinesh’s campaign started on a high note with a stunning upset against Japan’s Yui Susaki, who held an 82-0 unbeaten record. Phogat’s victory was hailed as one of the greatest upsets in Olympic wrestling history. Her run to the final fueled hopes that her long quest for an Olympic medal would finally be realized. However, this dream was shattered by her last-minute disqualification. Despite taking her case to CAS, Vinesh was denied relief. The setback adds to her unfortunate Olympic history, including an injury-plagued exit at Rio 2016.
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