Vinesh Phogat’s Paris Olympics heartbreak: Wrestler disqualified after weigh in, will not win a medal

Phogat was to face USA’s Sarah Hilderbrandt in the final on Wednesday, but will now return empty-handed despite becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to have reached an Olympic final on Tuesday night.

This wasn’t how her morning was supposed to pan out.

When she left the Champ-de-Mars Arena after winning her semifinal on Tuesday night, sources said Phogat weighed 52.7 kg. But there was no panic at first, as there had been instances earlier when she had found herself in a similar situation.

She didn’t sleep the entire night and did everything in her capacity to meet the criteria — from jogging to skipping to cycling to sweating it out in a sauna. When everything else failed — even cutting her hair and trimming her singlet – she was prepared to lose blood to make the weight in the morning.

Such was her “junoon” (passion), a team member said, that when she could not burn any more calories, she and her husband, Somvir, considered drawing out her blood in the hope that it would help her get rid of the few extra grams. “There was a point, after she cut her hair and the singlet, when they got syringes and decided to draw out some blood, thinking it would help in weight reduction,” the team member said.

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When Phogat reached the weigh-in hall early in the morning, she was 150 grams heavier. With additional last-minute workouts, she cut 50 grams more. By then, however, she had run out of time — and the last 100 grams could not be shed. Sources said the Indian delegation pleaded for some more time to give her a chance to shed the last 100 grams, but to no avail.

Those with her during the weigh-in said Phogat broke down as soon as she got off the scale, realising her fate was sealed — after reaching the Paris Olympics 50-kg final, slaying World Number 1 and odds-on favourite Yui Susaki of Japan en route, she was disqualified.

Not just Phogat, her entire team was teary-eyed. “It was as if it was somebody’s funeral,” said a team member.

In a statement in Lok Sabha, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has lodged a strong protest with the United World Wrestling (UWW), the sport’s governing body, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked IOA chief P T Usha to take “appropriate action” in the matter.

UWW chief Nenad Lalovic said there was no option but to respect the rules. “I am so sad about what happened to her… Overweight… a very small one. But the rules are rules, the weigh-in is public and all the athletes are there, and it is impossible to let someone compete… who does not make the weight,” he told reporters.

Explaining why there was an increase in weight although she had met the criteria on Tuesday, Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, the Chief Medical Officer of the Indian contingent here, said that following her three bouts on Tuesday, Phogat had to be given some water “to avoid dehydration”.

“We found that her post-participation weight increased more than normal and the coach initiated the normal process of weight cut that he has always employed with Vinesh,” Pardiwala said. “He felt confident it would be achieved.”

And thus began the hours-long ordeal.

Explained: Why Vinesh Phogat failed weigh-in at Paris Olympics; why and how wrestlers cut weight

“After the bout, for around one-and-a-half hours, we spent time with Vinesh doing mat training and practice. Around 11.30 pm, we left her alone with her team, physio, strength and conditioning coach, sparring partners,” said Virender Dahiya, the women’s team coach.

This was her trusted team that’s worked behind the scenes, relentlessly, to get her in shape for the Olympics.

Phogat didn’t eat a morsel after her bouts on Tuesday and stopped liquid intake. At first, things seemed to be under control, although her team knew they were in a race against time. Post-midnight in Paris, the frenetic actions to make her sweat began. And she stayed up the entire night.

Phogat wore multiple layers and ran on the treadmill. When that didn’t work, she entered a sauna inside the Games Village, hoping the heat would make her sweat. “But there was nothing left in her body,” said her team member.

“Over the night, we went ahead with the weight-cut procedure. However, in the morning we found that despite all of our efforts, her weight was 100 grams over her 50 kg category and was hence disqualified,” Pardiwala said. “All possible drastic measures, including cutting off her hair, were used. However, she was not below her allowed weight of 50kg,” he said.

A few minutes later, Phogat complained of dizziness, and was taken to the Games Village polyclinic. “As a precautionary measure, Vinesh was administered IV fluids following disqualification to prevent dehydration. We are also getting blood tests done at the local hospital to ensure that all is well. All of Vinesh’s parameters were normal throughout this process,” Pardiwala said.

“Wrestlers usually participate in a weight category less than their natural weight. It gives them an advantage since they are fighting with less stronger opponents… The process of weight cut involves a calculated restriction of food and water along with sweating from exercises and sauna till the morning weigh-in,” he explained.

“This weight cut causes weakness and energy depletion, which is counter-productive to participation, and hence, for energy restoration, limited water and high energy foods are given after weigh-in,” he said. He said that Phogat’s nutritionist had calculated this intake to add to about 1.5 kg. “Sometimes, there is also a factor of rebound weight gain following competition,” he said.

IOA president PT Usha said “the Wrestling Federation of India has filed an appeal to UWW to reconsider the decision to disqualify Vinesh and IOA is following that up in the strongest possible manner”.

Meanwhile, in a post on X, Modi said: “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. At the same time, I know that you epitomise resilience. It has always been your nature to take challenges head on. Come back stronger! We are all rooting for you.”

According to competition rules, Phogat is not eligible even for a silver medal now. The IOC later confirmed that she will be replaced by Yusneylis Guzman — the Cuban wrestler she defeated in the semi-final — in the gold-medal bout. Phogat has a better head-to-head record against Hildebrandt, the wrestler she was to meet in the final.

Earlier, Phogat competed in the 53-kg weight category, but that changed after Antim Panghal — who lost in her first round on Wednesday — won a quota place in the category. Phogat had made the weight for Tuesday’s bouts, but, as per the rules, wrestlers have to stay within their weight category on both days of the competition.

This isn’t the first time that Phogat has found it difficult to make the weight in the 50-kg category. Even on the night before her Olympic qualifiers in April, Phogat — whose normal body weight is 56-57 kg — had struggled to lose the extra kilos. Phogat’s coach, Woller Akos, had accompanied her to the sauna and slapped a bunch of dried branches and leaves on her body to generate more heat and make her sweat.

She did it back then. But couldn’t on Wednesday.

(The article has been updated with further information from IOA and IOC)