In a surprising turn of events at the Paris Olympics 2024, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified for being overweight ahead of her gold medal match in the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling final on Wednesday (August 7). This disqualification has opened the door for Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman, who will now face USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt in the gold medal bout later today.
Phogat’s disqualification and the new contender
The Paris Games organizing committee issued a statement explaining the situation: “Vinesh failed the second-day weigh-in. According to Article 11 of the International Wrestling Rules, Vinesh (IND) will be replaced by the wrestler who lost against her in the Semifinal. Therefore, Yusneylis Guzman Lopez (CUB) will compete in the Final. Repechage Yui Susaki (Japan) vs Oksana Livach (Ukraine) will become the Bronze Medal Match.”
Earlier reports indicated that the 50kg category would only award gold and bronze medals, making this development even more significant.
Vinesh Phogat’s Olympic journey
Vinesh Phogat, the star wrestler who became the first Indian woman to reach the final of a wrestling event at the Olympics, was found to be marginally over the permissible weight limit, leading to her disqualification and an empty-handed return home. On Tuesday (August 6), she defeated Guzman in the semifinal bout, securing her spot in the final and an assured medal, only for the situation to drastically change.