"The Indian team requests you respect Vinesh’s privacy."
Just hours before her historic gold medal bout, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the women’s freestyle 50kg wrestling event at the 2024 Olympics.
This is because she failed to make weight for the wrestling match.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said in a statement:
“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.
“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.”
According to United World Wrestling (UWW), if a wrestler fails to make weight before the bout, he/she is immediately disqualified and is placed last.
It was reported that Vinesh Phogat was approximately 100 grams over the weight limit.
Phogat had just about made weight for the previous bouts at the 2024 Olympics.
Entering the competition unseeded, Phogat qualified for the final.
She defeated top seed and defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan in the opening round.
In the quarterfinals, Phogat defeated Ukraine’s Oksana Livach before besting Pan American Games champion Yusneylis Guzman of Cuba in the semis.
According to Chapter 3, Article 11 of the wrestling rules:
“For all competitions, the weigh-in is organised each morning of the concerned weight category. The weigh-in and the medical control 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. This weigh-in will last 15 minutes.”
Phogat had become the first Indian female wrestler to enter the finals at the Olympics in any weight category.
She was slated to face USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt, who was seeded sixth.
However, her disqualification means Phogat – who was guaranteed at least silver – will not be eligible for any medal.
Hildebrandt will now take on Yusneylis Guzman for the gold medal while Yui Susaki and Oksana Livach will compete for bronze.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has since requested the IOC to explore all options to appeal against the disqualification.
He also sent a message to the wrestler:
“Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India’s pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian.
“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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