Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has been disqualified from the Paris Olympics wrestling competition for being overweight in the women's 50kg category on the morning of her gold medal bout.
"It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women's Wrestling 50kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning," Team India said on X.
It said "no further comments will be made" at this time and also asked for respect for Phogat's privacy. According to media reports, Phogat was overweight by 100 grams.
At the Paris Games, each weight category is organised over two competition days. The medical control and weigh-in for each category takes place in the morning of the first competition day.
On the second competition day, wrestlers who have qualified for the finals and repechage are weighed in again.
Phogat, who was unseeded, had qualified for the final after winning three bouts on Tuesday.
The three-time Commonwealth Games champion defeated top seed and Tokyo 2020 champion Yui Susaki of Japan in the opening round.
Phogat had been seemingly unbeatable on the mat. After beating Susaki, she then won her quarter-final against Ukraine’s Oksana Livach 7-5 and her semi-final against Guzman Lopez 5-0 to become the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic final.
Phogat's disqualification eliminates her from competition and moves Lopez into the final against American Sarah Hildebrandt, who defeated Mongolia’s Otgonjargal Dolgorjav 5-0 in the other semi-final.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a message of support to Phogat on X.
"Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India's pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian. Today's setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing," Modi wrote.
with AP
