Heartbroken over her disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024, India's ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling. The grappler stood on the cusp of a gold medal in the women's 50kg freestyle wrestling event before exceeding her weight by 100 grams during the morning weigh-in on Wednesday. Vinesh even lodged a protest at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), challenging her disqualification. Vinesh, in a post on social media, said that wrestling won the final bout against her, but she lost, breaking all her courage. Having made her professional debut in 2001, the year 2024 was the last that saw her compete as a wrestler.
"Wrestling won the match against me, I lost...my courage is all broken, I don't have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will forever be in your debt"
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) August 7, 2024
The 29-year-old wrestler's disqualification from the Paris Olympic Games broke over a billion hearts, with PM Narendra Modi also taking to social media to give his support and courage to Vinesh. Others from the sporting fraternity also rallied behind Vinesh's cause and asked her to focus on the 2028 LA Games in her pursuit of a wrestling gold medal in the Olympics. However, Vinesh feels she has lost her final battle, and doesn't have what it takes to continue anymore.
Vinesh was disqualified after being found 100gm overweight during the morning weigh-in. She reached out to CAS, asking for a joint-silver medal to be given.
An ad-hoc division of the CAS has been set up here for resolution by arbitration of any disputes arising during the Olympic Games or during a period of 10 days preceding the Opening Ceremony.
The matter will be taken up on Thursday morning.
Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to Vinesh in the semifinals, replaced her in the final against American Sarah Ann Hildebrandt.
Hidebrandt won the bout to claim gold and Vinesh is now banking on CAS to be a joint silver-medallist with Lopez.
She had to be taken to a polyclinic at the Games village owing to severe dehydration caused by her desperate measures to make the cut, which included going hungry, avoiding fluids and staying up all night to sweat it out.
With PTI inputs