Vinesh Phogat Wrestling Highlights, Paris Olympics 2024: Vinesh Phogat creates history by entering final

A great set of stat by Andy Hamilton, the editor of FloWrestling, for *that* win by Vinesh Phogat over Yui Susaki. Here are the numbers that defined Susaki's career at the Olympics/World Championships prior to today's stunning last-second loss to Vinesh Phogat:

21-0 

15 techs

4 pins

197 points scored 

11 points allowed

Here's a heartwarming clip of Vinesh Phogat talking to her mother after securing her final spot. A reminder, that no Indian woman wrestler has ever been in the Olympic finals. 

It takes a village - Vinesh PHOGAT ?? talking to her mother after becoming the first Indian to reach Olympic final in women’s wrestling#uww #wrestling #wrestleparis #olympics #paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Kh5SDCVR3T

— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) August 6, 2024

After Vinesh Phogat became the first woman wrestler in history to enter the final of the Olympics, Abhinav Bindra, India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, tweets that he will be rooting for her.

"A torn ligament. A lower weight category. An unbeaten world champion. Nothing stands in her way. Can’t wait to cheer Vinesh Phogat as she goes for gold. Your resilience and strength inspire us all. What an inspiring day, here’s hoping for one more!" tweets Bindra. 

Viren Rasquinha, who has worked very closely with Vinesh Phogat as part of Olympic Gold Quest, traces the Vinesh Phogat comeback story.

17th Aug 2023: Vinesh Phogat undergoes ACL Surgery 

25th Aug 2023: Vinesh's 29th Birthday. Viren says they made a promise to get her in best shape for Paris Olympics

6th Aug 2024: Vinesh becomes the first Indian female wrestler to reach the final of the Olympics.

(Images: Courtesy Viren, AP Photos)

Vinesh Phogat will now face USA's Sarah in the final.

Vinesh hadn’t been so sure when Somveer floated the idea of moving down to 50kg. “He truly pushed me to go through with that decision and had more confidence in me than I had in myself. For me, he’s been the most supportive, funny, no tension-person, everything. Every single person in my team is dil-se connected to me now and helping out, but back then all of us, including me thought 57 would be the only option. Somveer insisted it should be 50. Once decided, I didn’t overthink or doubt it,” she recalled.

Read more here

Originally a dominant force in the 53kg category, Phogat made a strategic decision to drop to 50kg. Despite the physical challenges, her husband and coach, Somveer Rathi, supported her choice. The decision proved astute as it avoided the potential uncertainty of trials.

Phogat's victory ensured India's participation in the 50kg women's wrestling event at the Paris Olympics.

She spoke to Shivani Naik about that challenges that entailed.

Read more here

Nightmare injury in Rio. Couldn't quite get going in Tokyo. Took to the streets in Delhi. No clarity on future. ACL surgery. Going down to 50kg to try & reach Paris. Now, Vinesh Phogat will be an Olympic medallist. 

What an incredible, incredible story. 

For months, the idea of returning to the sport seemed improbable to Phogat, who was preoccupied with bigger issues - fighting for the safety of women wrestlers and her honour, and taking on the establishment that, she felt, had been “targeting” her. Her first comeback bid, last year, was derailed by an injury that forced a knee surgery. In her second attempt, the wrestler had to make a profound decision: changing her weight category from 53 kg to 50. It meant that Phogat, whose normal body weight is 55-56 kg, had to shed weight to remain eligible to fight in her new category and fight against faster, lighter opponents.

Read more here by Mihir Vasavda

"One of the greatest comebacks the sport has seen..."

VINESH PHOGAT HAS DONE IT! The first Indian woman wrestler to reach the final at the OLYMPIC GAMES!

Vinesh makes her move! Nearly pinned her opponent there but does superbly to get a four pointer and it is a 5-0 lead going into the final minute! 

(Meanwhile India have scored early in the hockey match too!)

You could cut the tension in the air. Neither wrestler going all out here, there is a sense of too much riding on this... which of course, there is. End of the first period. 

Now Guzman goes for a single leg attack but Vinesh is ready on defence too. Now Vinesh is being on the defensive. 

A passivity clock on Cuban, and Vinesh gets on the board in this bout as Guzman doesn't take a risk. 

First period: Vinesh has a chance to score early but Guzman holds strongly on defence, holding Vinesh's leg and preventing her from making a takedown. This is a defensive start from the Cuban. 

"WE are going to see the talk of the wrestling world today..." says the commentator as Vinesh comes on. 

It took Susaki a while to comprehend just how resolutely Vinesh was intending to defend. But even when she went for a single leg attack around the 3:10 mark, Vinesh ensured her feet remained elusive and out of bounds for the Japanese ace, known for not conceding a single point in Tokyo. The 4-time World champion in 50 kg, a mythical icon back in Japan, in fact got deceived by having not conceded any point, and was completely lulled by the 2 passivity points Vinesh cleverly gifted, before her last 10 second takedown, nudged Susaki out of gold medal contention.

Read more here.

Olympic champion Yui SUSAKI ?? was 82-0 in international matches

Then Vinesh PHOGAT ?? happened at #Paris2024pic.twitter.com/BYtiFj1v9k

— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) August 6, 2024

We are a couple of bouts away still for Vinesh to take to the mat.

Who would have thought at the start of the day that this sentence would be true in this order: Yui Susaki will be rooting for a Vinesh Phogat semifinal win tonight so that she can try and fight for a bronze medal. 

Alright then, the hockey semifinal is not far away... 

We have a dedicated live blog for that. Mihir Vasavda is at the venue for this as well. Indians warm up with cricket, Germans, football.

Here's a look at the Cuban's run to the semifinal

Day 1?2? schedule of ??#ParisOlympics2024 is HERE ??

A busy day awaits for #TeamIndia at #Paris2024 tomorrow.

The Indian contingent has a lot to play for as there are 4 medal matches lined up.

Don't miss out on any action from Day 12, let's cheer for #TeamIndia?? and… pic.twitter.com/C6oxSK5vG0

— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) August 6, 2024

Believe and you can fly ?@Phogat_Vinesh

?: United World Wrestling / Kadir Caliskan#Paris2024 #Wrestling #WrestleParis pic.twitter.com/IsiyMS8s0x

— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) August 6, 2024

It's not new to her. In the past too, Vinesh Phogat has upset big names. At 2018 Asian Games, she defeated Japan’s Yuki Irie, incidentally one of the few people in the world that have defeated Yui Susaki. Now Phogat joins that list, upsetting the women’s freestyle wrestling world order that Japan continues to pursue, writes Shashank Nair.

Read more here.

What was the mood at Stade de France like as Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis raised the bar again? He keeps improving his World Record, 1 cm at a time. He did it the only way he knows how to: by putting on a grand show of theatrics and skill at the grandest stage of them all.

Read more here.

Pic 1: Rio 2016: Tears of pain after Injury in QF & been taken on a stretcher.

Pic 2: Paris 2024: Tears of joy beating reigning Olympic Champion & 4X World Champion in R16 #VineshPhogat #OlympicGames #Wrestling pic.twitter.com/RLpCoVB451

— Neha Aggarwal Sharma OLY (@nehaaggarwal) August 6, 2024

Pistol shooter Manu Bhaker -- who had a barnstorming campaign at the Paris Olympics, winning two bronze medals and ending fourth in a third event -- has been speaking about her future plans after the Paris Games. 

She says, "I would like to be one of the greatest. This is just a beginning for me. I want to devote my entire life to sports and India. I am just trying my best to win as many medals as possible for my country...The journey at the Paris Olympics has been fantastic for me. These two medals will help a lot...It would boost the confidence that they can also do well not just in one event but more events...My performance was very good. I performed world-class in the qualification of all the rounds...Everything was great"

Worth the wait! ?

?? Neeraj Chopra speaks after his superb throw in the Javelin qualifiers at #Paris2024!

Keep watching the Olympic action LIVE on #Sports18 & stream for FREE on #JioCinema. #OlympicsonJioCinema #OlympicsonSports18 #Olympics #Athletics #NeerajChopra pic.twitter.com/JE5XEwMDb4

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) August 6, 2024

Veteran Sharath Kamal manages to take a game from Olympic champion Fan Zhendong in his last Olympic match, but team goes down 0-3 in Round of 16.

Read more here.

Vinesh will take on Yusneylys Guzman Lopez in the semi-final after the Cuban won her quarters clash 10-0 against Lithuania’s Gabija Dilyte. Interestingly, Guzman had lost to the Indian’s quarter-final opponent Livach during the Repechage round of the Tokyo Olympics. The 27-year-old from Havana won the gold medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago and is currently ranked 12th in the 50kg category world rankings.

Former India coach Sjoerd Marijne, a Dutchman, wants a India vs Netherlands final.

Let’s go India! ?? #INDGER @Olympics

India - Netherlands in the final would be amazing?. I know what your question will be if this happens but first India needs to win the semifinal ??

— Sjoerd Marijne (@SjoerdMarijne) August 6, 2024

Defending Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra made a powerful statement at the Paris Olympics, qualifying for the final with a phenomenal 89.34-meter throw. This impressive distance not only secured his spot in the next round but also showcased the Indian javelin star's consistency.

Read more by Nihal Koshie here.

Lakshya Sen reflects on his Paris 2024 performance 

A day after his coach Prakash Padukone asked Indian athletes to ‘introspect’ and question themselves whether they had ‘doing enough’ to win an Olympic medal, Lakshya Sen has spoken out about his heartbreak at missing out on the medal at Paris 2024.

"My journey at the Paris 2024 Olympics has been both an honor and a heartbreak. I gave my all, fought with every ounce of strength, but fell just short of the podium. I am very grateful to all the supporters for their unwavering support," he says in a post on Instagram. "I am determined to reflect and introspect on what went wrong and where I need to bring a change. To this, I sincerely request space and privacy at this point in time so that I can regroup, come back in top form and win laurels for India. I am eternally grateful to my incredible team, Vimal Sir and Prakash Sir for their relentless support, my family for being my strength, BAI, SAI, Prakash Padukone Academy, Olympic Gold Quest, Red Bull India and everyone associated with my journey."

Carolina Marin's message after her horrific injury

"On Sunday I suffered one of the hardest moments of my life. Few days later I think I'll need more time to assimilate it. I suppose life makes us deal with situations that we don't want to live and that nobody deserves, but we have to accept it and handle it in the best possible way. 
I have never received so much love, it has been immeasurable. But I'm sure you'll let me single out one person: I wished He Bingjiao all the best in the final, because sportsmanship was above all else. But the moment on the podium is one of the loveliest gestures anyone has ever made to me and I will always be incredibly grateful to her. 
I wouldn't like to finish without remembering that sometimes we use sport as an example for life. And this was also the case on Sunday: if you work hard and try harder than anyone else to achieve your dreams, they can come true. But it doesn't always happen. 
I fulfilled the dreams of the little girl who left Huelva a long time ago, but I had others to fulfill. It doesn't matter, life goes on and I will keep on looking for my dreams.  Now another journey begins, but I already know it... "

Japanese wrestling sensation Yui Susaki, renowned for her unparalleled dominance on the mat, suffered her first-ever international defeat at the hands of Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat. What is the importance of that win? Our man from Paris tries to capture it. 

Read more by Mihir Vasavda here.

[From Express archive]

“This whole struggle has been emotional for my family too. Even after I couldn’t win a medal at the last Games, they clung on to the hope that I could win at the next. For my mother who gets shocked by how I starve, it’s like, please get the medal once and for all, taaki bechari ko theekse khana mil jaaye.”

Read more from Shivani Naik here

One and done for Neeraj! And a seasons best too ? pic.twitter.com/L68rHVgYcT

— Aniket Mishra (@aniketmishra299) August 6, 2024

In the first men's semifinal, Netherlands thrash Spain 4-0 to become the first team to reach the final. They await India or Germany. 

Spain qualify for the bronze medal match. They too, of course, India or Germany. 

Neeraj on the raised bar at Paris 2024: “Final will be a cracker, the Tokyo final mark has already been surpassed by qualification. We were a little relaxed today. The burden and pressure will be much more in the final.”

The Olympic champion conceded to the host broadcasters, “I’ve had a few issues with my groin & that’s why I didn’t take part in a lot of competitions. It’s important to stay fit and reach the final.”

After cruising through to the men's Javelin Throw final at Paris 2024 with a season best throw, the reigning champion Neeraj Chopra spoke to Jio Cinema: “It was a good throw, but this is just the qualification, the real deal is the final.”

The Indian women will face Germany in their quarterfinal match on Wednesday. Germany edged out USA 3-2 in a topsy-turvy Rd of 16 clash.

In Hockey, the Dutch have a 2-0 lead over Spain in the first semifinal during the early stages of the second quarter. Remember, it was Netherlands who had landed the knockout blow to Australia in the quarter-finals. India, who play Germany in the second semifinal, will of course, have one eye on this one.

One and done again for Neeraj Chopra. Throws 89.34, his season best, to qualify for javelin final. Two very good friends, Neeraj and Vinesh, light up the day for India at #Paris2024

— Mihir Vasavda (@mihirsv) August 6, 2024

You won't see a better execution of a plan than this. Vinesh Phogat has stunned Yui Susaki in the first round of the women's 50 kg. This is as big an upset as India beating Brazil in football. Stuff of legend #wrestling #Paris2024

— Mihir Vasavda (@mihirsv) August 6, 2024

Yui Susaki will be rooting for a Vinesh Phogat semifinal win tonight so that she can try and fight for a bronze medal. Words that I didn't think I'd be putting together in a sentence today.

Utterly incredible. 

50 kg was not what Vinesh Phogat wanted. It's not what she might've considered ideal. But in retrospect, it's the weight category where she can afford to be absolutely cavalier in one step back, two steps forward fashion.
The passivity points ceded to the Japanese & the bold review that backfired, but didn't cost her a biggie, both came because she knows in 50, she can launch power moves at the tape, while defending most other time. Semifinal might need her to be more proactive in attack though, against Cuban. But pushed into the 50 corner, Vinesh has maxed her natural 53-strength.

Shivani Naik

Neeraj Chopra has the best throw of the qualification round, as NINE throwers cross the automatic qualification mark. It's a VERY high quality qualification round and Neeraj, though strong with his throw, will know that he is in for a proper fight in the final. This is going to be closer than Tokyo, if you ask us. And it promises to be a cracker. 

Thursday night, 11.55 pm IST.

Interestingly, Oksana Livach had defeated a Cuban wrestler by the moniker of Yusneylis Guzman Lopez at the Tokyo Olympics repechage rounds. Phogat, after defeating Livach, will next face Lopez in the semi-final. 

Lopez has looked really good in her two matches at the Paris Olympics. The last match of the day for Phogat is not going to be an easy one. She's really going to have to go deep in her bag to defend against the constant energetic pressure of the Cuban wrestler. But a period of rest awaits the Indian now. Hopefully she can recover effectively till 10:15 PM IST after which, one of the most important bouts of her life is on.

Shashank Nair

Some context for what Vinesh has achieved.

Yui Susaki, the reigning Olympic Champion at 50kg has never lost to a non-Japanese opponent.

She boasts an 82-0 international record, and in the last ten years has outscored opponents 733-34.

Susaki is only 25 years old.

— Jordan Burroughs (@alliseeisgold) August 6, 2024

Vinesh Phogat reaches the semifinal of the 50kg women's freestyle. She had to endure a tough second period against Oksana but the Indian takes it 7-5. What a clutch performance there by Vinesh to takedown the Ukranian late in the second when she was the one under the pump.

Shashank Nair 

VINESH PHOGAT INTO THE SEMIFINALS! What a bout, that was. Completely different from the one we witnessed to the one between Vinesh and Susaki. The Indian is one win away from a medal now!

There is a lot of delay here with 10 seconds for the restart, not quite clear. Livach with a big move to get the point. Not much left now. 

VINESH STAYING STRONG! 10 seconds left, Vinesh leads 7-4. 

SENSATIONAL DEFENCE FROM VINESH! All the pressure from Livach. And the Indian counters brilliantly once again. Vinesh leads 7-4.