One of the greatest heartbreaking moments of the 2024 Paris Olympics probably happened with regard to India’s Vinesh Phogat. Phogat was disqualified from the women’s 50 kg freestyle wrestling final with a small weight sanction directly after she made history from her performance. This paper looks at the entire fracas, views, rules concerning the weight classes in wrestling, and the larger implications, both for Phogat and Indian wrestling.
Vinesh Phogat’s Historic Run
Making history, Vinesh Phogat entered the final—a first for an Indian woman in a wrestling event at the Olympic Games. Her journey, from the group stage to the final, defeating some of the greatest current wrestlers, included the Tokyo gold medalist Yui Susaki of Japan, who is a now four-time world champion.
. Her win in the semifinal against Yusneylis Guzman Lopez from Cuba ensured she was in the final and had at least a silver medal in her bag.
Weight Disqualification
The first joy of that achievement became short-lived. It came on Saturday morning during the weigh-in, whereby Phogat was 100 grams overweight on the 50 kg limit
. But even with her and her team’s desperate efforts to make weight, which included jogging, skipping, and cycling through the night, she could not make the required weight
. The Olympic rules are very strict with no tolerance for weight discrepancies, hence her immediate disqualification.
The Struggle of a Weight Cut
Phogat’s issue to tackle with weight cutting is no secret. Her usual weight is around 57kg, and drastic measures had to be taken to get her into the 50kg category in order to compete. The process of cutting weight is grueling, to say the least, thereby it can have severe physical ramifications. In Phogat’s case, she was even given intravenous fluids to avoid dehydration and had to cut her hair and shorten her clothes to shed extra grams.
. All these tries, yet she missed by a whisker .
The Aftermath
The disqualification came as a massive setback for Phogat and the entire Indian contingent. It thus took out of her hand the opportunity for a gold or silver medal but just shook the entire nation deep within.
There was an appeal from WFI and IOA against the decision, but little scope was there to bargain due to the norms that are in place. As such, it was the Cuban Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to the Indian in semifinals, who was thus elevated for the final against the American.
Wider Implications
Phogat’s disqualification means that not only the sport but the athlete will have to pay the price in general; her disqualification opened the Pandora’s box regarding how far most athletes will go to make weight and the health risks associated with doing so. She was admitted to the hospital after being dehydrated, suggesting the actual price a wrestler has to pay for being disqualified.
In addition, it raised a debate about the justice and amount of flexibility of the regulations in wrestling vis-à-vis the specific weight category rules.
Despite this setback, Phogat has received a lot of moral support from different quarters, not the least being the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Disqualification can not atone for what Phogat has achieved and her role in the history of Indian wrestling. Phogat has been leading from the front in ensuring justice for female wrestlers in India, and had even led protests against the Wrestling Federation of India chief over alleged charges of sexual harassment .
Conclusion
The disqualification of Vinesh Phogat at the 2024 Paris Olympics brought a grim reminder not only to herself but to many people about what athletes go through. She was stripped of a well-deserved medal, but what came out were extreme measures in weight cutting, calling for claims of a more humane approach toward weight categories in sports. Phogat made a historic run, and with much resilience, continues to make a path for the future generations of wrestlers.
Finally, the case of Vinesh Phogat is not one of disqualification but of fighting spirit, pursuit of excellence, and fighting for justice and fair play in sports: a legacy worth living. Her legacy will no doubt outlive her, inspiring generations of young athletes who dare to dream big and reach great height, notwithstanding the reverses that come their way.