Wrestler Vinesh Phogat Retires After Disqualification At Paris 2024 Olympics

Vinesh Phogat, India’s pioneering female wrestler, announced her retirement on Thursday, just a day after being disqualified from the gold medal match in the 50 kg women’s category at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The 29-year-old trailblazer, the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic wrestling final, was on the brink of a historic victory after delivering exceptional performances en route to the final. However, she was disqualified due to being 100 grams over the weight limit at the mandatory morning weigh-in on Tuesday.

In a heartfelt post on X, Phogat wrote in Hindi, “Mother wrestling won against me, I lost. Forgive me, your dream and my courage have been broken. I don’t have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024.”

Phogat had secured a place in the final with a 5-0 victory over Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who replaced her and ultimately took the silver medal. America’s Sarah Hildebrandt, initially preparing to face Phogat, won gold with a 3-0 victory over Lopez.

Phogat has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a joint silver medal. The decision is expected today.

Hailing from Haryana, Phogat is a three-time Olympian, competing in different weight categories across the Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024 Games. Her illustrious career includes three Commonwealth Games gold medals in 2014, 2018, and 2022, and a historic gold at the 2018 Asian Games.

Phogat also earned bronze medals at the World Wrestling Championships in 2019 and 2022. Her retirement marks the end of an era for Indian wrestling.

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