Vinesh Phogat, a prominent Indian wrestler, recently reacted to the Court of Arbitration for Sports’ (CAS) decision to reject her appeal for a joint-silver medal in the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 29-year-old was disqualified from the event after being found 100 grams overweight before her women’s 50kg gold-medal bout against USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt. In a poignant reaction, Vinesh shared a picture of herself lying on the mat with her hands on her forehead, reflecting the crushing disappointment.
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Journey to the Final and Unfulfilled Olympic Dream
Earlier in the tournament, Vinesh Phogat made history by defeating Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semi-final, becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to qualify for an Olympic wrestling final. She was on the brink of becoming only the second Indian female wrestler to win an Olympic medal, following in the footsteps of Sakshi Malik. However, her disqualification led to the Cuban wrestler replacing her in the final, where Hildebrandt ultimately secured the gold. Under United World Wrestling (UWW) rules, Vinesh was ranked last due to the disqualification.
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A Dream Dashed: Vinesh’s Olympic Campaign Comes to a Painful End
Vinesh Phogat’s Olympic journey, which began with a stunning victory over Japan’s Yui Susaki, a wrestler with an unblemished 82-0 record, seemed destined for glory. Her win over Susaki was hailed as one of the greatest upsets in Olympic wrestling history and raised hopes that Vinesh would finally secure an Olympic medal. However, her dreams were shattered in an instant due to the weight issue.
Despite her appeals to CAS, Vinesh’s Olympic misfortune continued, echoing the heartbreak she experienced in the 2016 Rio Olympics, where a knee injury prematurely ended her campaign despite her being a top seed. Once again, as she appeared poised for a podium finish, fate intervened, leaving her Olympic aspirations unfulfilled.
Also Read: No Medal For Vinesh Phogat As Wrestler’s Disqualification Appeal Rejected
