The Indian Olympics delegation is heartbroken over the recent disqualification of Vinesh Phogat, the wrestler poised to make history for the country.
The 29-year-old had made it all the way to the finals of the 50kg women's freestyle category and, if victorious against Team U.S.A.'s Sarah Hildebrandt, would've become the first Indian female athlete to win an Olympic gold in any event.
Her sudden removal from the game, and her seeming retirement announcement on social media just hours later, has stirred an outcry from fans of the sport and those watching the Games worldwide as well.
© Getty ImagesHere's what we know about Vinesh, her Olympics journey, and what her team's new appeal can do for her standing…
Who is Vinesh Phogat?
The freestyle wrestler is a notable name among Indian athletes, thanks to the fame of her family and her prowess in the ring. She comes from the Phogat family of wrestlers, with her sister Priyanka and her cousins Geeta, Ritu, and Babita all being wrestlers as well.
© Getty ImagesMost notably, her cousins Geeta and Babita were immortalized thanks to their portrayal in the Bollywood film Dangal (2016), which was an international sensation and remains one of the highest grossing Hindi language movies of all time.
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She began her professional wrestling career in 2013 and has won three Gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, two Bronze medals at the World Championships, and several other awards at other international meets. She is a three-time Olympian, having competed before in 2016 and 2021.
© InstagramSince 2018, she has been married to fellow wrestler Somvir Rathee, whom she met when they worked for the Indian Railways. She was also one of the most notable members of the 2023 protests against Indian Wrestling Federation's then-president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh after several female wrestlers came forward with cases of sexual harassment.
Why was she disqualified?
Vinesh made headlines when she defeated reigning world and Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan in her opening Paris Olympics bout, who had not conceded a single point in Tokyo and had not been defeated by a non-Japanese opponent.
© Getty ImagesShe continued her strong run all the way to the gold medal match against Sarah Hildebrandt, but was disqualified just before the final because she came up as a mere 100 grams overweight (3.5 ounces) for the 50kg bout.
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Her team tried several methods to keep her weight off, after competing in the 53kg bout in Tokyo, which included cutting her hair, spending extended periods of time in the sauna, and even reportedly removing blood.
© Getty ImagesHer disqualification meant that Yusneylys Guzmán of Cuba, who had been defeated by Vinesh in the semi-finals, took her place in the gold medal bout. She ended up winning the silver as the American wrestler took gold.
Did she retire?
Just one day after the heartbreaking end to her Olympic journey, the athlete took to X with a statement in Hindi seemingly announcing her immediate retirement from the sport.
© Getty ImagesIt reads: "Wrestling won, and I lost. Forgive me, your dream, my courage are all broken. I don't have any more strength. Goodbye wrestling, 2001-2024. I will remain indebted to you all, forgiveness!"
Can her appeal change things?
Soon after the disqualification, Vinesh and her team filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport that she be allowed to compete in the final, but the CAS immediately rejected the request.
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Within 24 hours, they responded with a second appeal, asking her to be awarded with a joint silver medal, contending that she made it to the final fairly, and was within the weight limit on the first day of the women's 50kg bouts.
© Getty ImagesAs of writing, the CAS has accepted Vinesh's latest appeal and is scheduling a hearing for tomorrow, August 9, in Paris. While the hearings and subsequent decision could take days, even weeks, if successful, the wrestler will share the silver with Cuba's Yusneylys, closing out her wrestling career with her very first Olympic medal.
