India women's wrestler Vinesh Phogat has been disqualified from the 50-kilogram Olympic wrestling final after failing to make weight Wednesday, creating a ripple effect on the medal matches and resulting in some forced adjustments by organizers.
Phogat defeated Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semifinals Tuesday, but her disqualification pushed Guzman Lopez into the gold medal match Wednesday night.
Phogat had gotten off to a great start at the Paris Games, stunning four-time world and defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan in her first match on Tuesday. She eventually won her first three matches to earn a spot in the 50-kilogram final.
But that is not going to happen. Team India announced on social media Wednesday that Phogat is out.
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“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,” the announcement said.
Phogat had been seemingly unbeatable on the mat. After beating top-seeded Susaki — who captured gold at the Tokyo Olympics without conceding a point — she then won her quarterfinal match against Ukraine’s Oksana Livach 7-5 and her semifinal 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 Guzman Lopez into the final against American Sarah Hildebrandt, who defeated Mongolia’s Otgonjargal Dolgorjav 5-0 in the other semifinal.
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There are two bronze medals awarded in each wresting weight classes. Phogat's disqualification created a domino effect. Susaki, who lost to Phogat, had earned a spot in the repechage against Livach, with one needing to earn a spot in a bronze medal match. The Phogat-Livach match has been elevated to one of the two bronze medal matches. The other bronze match will match China's Feng Ziqi and Dolgorjav — a pairing that was not impacted by Phogat's disqualification.
It's unclear if Phogat has ever been disqualified for not making weight. She had never placed higher than ninth at the Olympics or third at a world championship event before this impressive performance at the Paris Games.
In 2023, Phogat and other female wrestlers were detained by police in India's capital city of New Delhi after they marched on parliament following allegations of sexual misconduct by people within the sport, including Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the president of the Wrestling Federation of India. Sanjay Kumar Singh later replaced him in the position.
