Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from her gold medal bout on Wednesday.© AFP
In a shocking turn of events at the Paris Olympics, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from her gold medal bout in the women's 50 kg category after failing her second weigh-in on Wednesday. The disqualification ended her gold medal aspirations and highlighted the rigorous weight restrictions that are in place at the Olympics. Vinesh faced challenges with weight cutting and was racing against time to ensure that she met the stringent 50 kg limit. But she ultimately missed the mark by just over 100 gm, sources said.
As per the sources, after Tuesday's bouts, Vinesh worked out the entire night to meet the weight criteria on Wednesday morning. She was seen skipping, cycling, stretching, and doing other exercises.
Weigh-ins at the Olympics are notably strict compared to other international competitions. Wrestlers must weigh in on the morning of the competition day, and if they advance to the final or repechage round, they must weigh in again on the second day.
The first weigh-in gives 30 minutes to the wrestlers to make the weight, but the second weigh-in, which lasts only 15 minutes, has no margin for error. Unlike other United World Wrestling (UWW) events where a 2 kg weight tolerance is allowed, the Olympics permit no such leniency.
As per Article 11 of the UWW rulebook, an athlete who fails to make the weight is eliminated from the competition and ranked last, stripping them of any achievements during the event. This harsh reality hit Vinesh hard, nullifying her victories en route final.
Here's what the rules say:
If changes are made in the final entries compared to the entries in Athena (ONLY after exceptional circumstances like an injury -- confirmed by a medical certificate), the updated athletes' entry list must be submitted to the organiser by the team leader, without fail, the day before the weigh-in and the competition day of the concerned weight category.
No changes will be accepted after this time. 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. On the second morning of the concerned weight category, only the wrestlers who participate in repechages and finals have to come for the weigh-in. This weigh-in will last 15 minutes.
No wrestler may be accepted at the weigh-in if he has not undergone a medical examination the first morning. Wrestlers must appear at the medical examination and the weigh-in with their licence and accreditation.
The only uniform allowed for the weigh-in is the singlet.
After having been examined by qualified physicians who are obliged to eliminate any wrestler who presents any danger of contagious disease, the wrestler can be weighed in.
No weight tolerance will be allowed for the singlet.
Contestants must be in perfect physical condition, with their fingernails cut very short.
Throughout the entire weigh-in period, wrestlers have the right, each in turn, to get on the scale as many times as they wish.
The referees responsible for the weigh-in must check that all wrestlers are of the weight corresponding to the category in which they are entered for the competition, that they fulfil all the requirements of Article 5, and inform any wrestler of the risk he runs if he presents himself on the mat in incorrect dress.
The referees responsible for the weigh-in will receive the results of the draw and will be allowed to control only the athletes who are on this list.
If an athlete does not attend or fail the weigh-in (the first or the second), he will be eliminated from the competition and ranked last, without rank. If an athlete is injured during the first day, he doesn't have to attend the second weigh-in and will keep his results.
As per the rules, Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to Vinesh in the semifinal, has now been named as her replacement for the gold medal match.
"Vinesh failed the second-day weigh-in. According to Article 11 of the international wrestling rules, Vinesh will be replaced by the wrestler who lost against her in the semifinal. Therefore, Yusneylis Guzman Lopez will compete in the final," the organisers said.
The disqualification also affects the repechage rounds. Top-seeded Japanese wrestler Yui Susaki, who lost her first-ever international bout to Vinesh in the opening round, and Ukraine's Oksana Livach, who suffered a 5-7 defeat against Vinesh in the quarterfinal, will now compete for the bronze medal.
This disqualification is a significant blow for Vinesh, who had been on a remarkable run at the Paris Olympics. Her victories over top contenders had set her up for a historic gold medal bout.
However, the stringent weight regulations at the Olympics left no room for error, as Vinesh's narrow miss on the scale ended her campaign prematurely.