Vinesh Phogat weigh-in controversy: ‘If you allow this 100 grams, then you would be allowed 200 grams. There is no end’ – wrestling governing body responds

Olympic champions and legendary coaches empathised with Phogat, who got disqualified from the Games after she could not make the weight for Wednesday’s final, and implored the United World Wrestling (UWW) to consider rule changes that are less harsh on the wrestlers physically and mentally.

Speaking at the Champ-de-Mars Arena, Purity Akuh, the Nigerian women’s coach, said this is the ‘first time’ he had seen something like this happen. “For Vinesh, I really feel for her. She has broken a record here and she deserves to be on the podium.”

On social media, former Olympic gold medallist Jordan Burroughs added: “Give Vinesh the Silver medal.”

Phogat was denied a medal despite her reaching the final fairly — she was within the permissible weight limit on day one of her competition on Tuesday. As much as this, the wrestlers and coaches said the rule to have strict weigh-ins on both days of the tournament should be changed.

Vinesh Phogat of India reacts after winning the match against Yui Susaki of Japan. (Reuters)

Like Akuh, Greece coach Evangelia Nikolaou said she too felt ‘sorry’ for Phogat and said the two days of weight-in is ‘very dangerous’ for women wrestlers. Describing the ordeal some of her wrestlers had to go through to make the weight, Nikolaou said: “No food, no drink, very (hard) training. For me, one (weight) control is okay. Two (day) control for women is a very (big) problem.”

The idea behind the rule

This rule came into being in 2017 when the UWW changed the format of Olympic wrestling. Instead of conducting the competition in a weight category in one day, the UWW moved to a two-day system. This was done so that athletes wouldn’t lose a huge amount of weight in one day and compete.

The international governing body’s president, Nenad Lalovic, insisted they won’t revise the rules based on this one incident. He added the playing regulations were formed to ensure wrestlers ‘compete in their natural weight category’ rather than drastically reducing weight, which can ‘impact health’.

“The wrestlers are losing too much weight and it’s not good for their health. Many have seen their interest at the moment but they don’t see what happens in 20-30 years. We want athletes to compete at their natural weight. That’s the idea. This is when they make the best performances,” Lalovic said.

India’s Vinesh Phogat celebrates after defeating Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman during their women’s freestyle 50kg wrestling semifinal match, at Champ-de-Mars Arena, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

The wrestlers and coaches, however, are of the view that athletes put their bodies through a lot just to make weight. To do that twice, they add, is a health hazard too. “You need a two-kilo exemption for the next day. If that will be put into consideration, for me, it would be okay,” Purity, the coach of Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Blessing Oborududu, said. “For athletes who have gone through very rigorous exercises and come back to make the same weight, it’s a bit heavy on them. A 2 kg allowance would have been a perfect deal for the next day’s tournaments.”

Purity’s views were echoed by Kenny Monday, former Olympic and world champion, who is now a coach. The American noted ‘there should always be weight allowance on the second day’.

Burroughs, who won a gold medal at the London Olympics, proposed on X that ‘after a semifinal victory, both finalists’ medals are secured even if weight is missed on Day 2. Gold can only be won by a wrestler who makes weight on the second day.’

Lalovic dismissed the ideas.

When asked if it was possible to hand Phogat a silver, given she made the weight the previous day, he replied: “Impossible. Because the brackets are changing. Everything is changing. And anyway, the rules are rules.”

He also said it wasn’t considered to exempt Phogat even though she was ‘only 100 grams’ over. “I am really so sad and I understand Vinesh, her disappointment… (But) If you allow this 100 grams, then you would be allowed 200 grams. There is no end…”