Paris, August 7, 2024: India faced a major setback at the Paris Olympics as wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Women’s 50kg final. Despite reaching the final, Vinesh will not be able to compete due to being 100 grams over the weight limit. As a result, she will not receive a silver medal and has been removed from the competition entirely.
This unexpected turn of events means that no one will receive a silver medal in the 50kg women’s category this year. Vinesh was set to face America’s Sarah Hildebrandt in the final. With Vinesh’s disqualification, Hildebrandt will be awarded the gold medal without contest. The bronze medal match will still take place, and the winner will receive the medal. However, no silver will be awarded.
According to the rules, Vinesh will be placed at the bottom of the rankings. On Tuesday, she defeated Cuba’s Guzmán López in the semifinals to secure her spot in the final. However, during the weigh-in on Wednesday morning, she was found to be nearly 100 grams over the 50kg limit. Consequently, Vinesh was disqualified from the competition, and she was not given the opportunity to reduce her weight.
