Current:Home > ScamsIndian wrestler Vinesh Phogat abruptly retires after disqualification at Olympics -Prosperity Pathways
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat abruptly retires after disqualification at Olympics
View
Date:2025-04-18 09:49:55
PARIS — The Indian wrestler who failed to make weight for her gold-medal bout at the 2024 Paris Olympics has abruptly retired.
Vinesh Phogat, who would have been India's first Olympic medalist in wrestling, announced in an emotional post on social media that she is walking away from the sport. The news came less than 24 hours after she had taken dramatic steps to lose weight, including cutting her hair, but came in about 0.2 pounds over the maximum allowed in her class.
In a message written in Hindi and posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Phogat said goodbye to her wrestling career and also asked for forgiveness.
"Mother, wrestling won against me. I lost," she wrote in the post, according to a translation published by The Hindustan Times, an English-language newspaper based in Delhi.
"Your dreams and my courage are shattered. I don't have any more strength now."
2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.
Phogat, 29, is a three-time Olympian and one of India's best-known wrestlers, particularly after her public involvement in protests against the former top official of the country's wrestling federation, who had been accused of sexual harassment. She was one of several female wrestlers in India who had called for criminal charges to be levied against the official, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was ousted from his post last year.
Phogat won two bronze medals at world championships over the past five years plus an Asian Championship in 2021, all in the 53-kilogram weight class. In Paris, however, she dropped down to 50 kilograms − and her first day of competition could not have gone more smoothly.
Phogat started off Tuesday with a stunning upset of Yui Susaki, a Japanese wrestler who had never lost a match against an international opponent and won gold at the Tokyo Games without conceding a single point. She then squeaked by Oksana Livach of Ukraine and beat Yusneylys Guzmán of Cuba to qualify for the gold-medal match against American Sarah Hildebrandt.
At the end of that first day, however, Phogat's weight had increased by almost 6 pounds, according to Indian news reports. The Indian Olympic Association said she spent all night sweating in a sauna and working out, with restricted food and water, in an effort to get back down to 50 kilograms by Wednesday morning.
As a last resort, she even cut her hair. But it was not enough, and the IOA said she was later hospitalized for possible dehydration.
"After three tough matches against world class opponents, no athlete should have to spend the night preparing for a gold medal in this manner," NBC commentator and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs wrote on X.
Under international wrestling rules, Phogat was not just disqualified from the gold-medal bout but technically moved into last place in the 16-woman field. The situation prompted both widespread sympathy and furious outcry in India, with politicians publicly urging sports officials to challenge her disqualification.
United World Wrestling officials have told Indian news outlets that, essentially, there is nothing that can be done. Though several of those same outlets reported that Phogat had filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, asking a panel of arbitrators to award her a silver medal. A spokesperson for CAS did not immediately reply to an email seeking more information, but such an appeal appears unlikely to be successful.
Contributing: Reuters
Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on social media @Tom_Schad.
veryGood! (48)
Related
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Inferno set off by gas blast in Kenya's capital injures hundreds, kills several; It was like an earthquake
- Skydiver dies in Arizona, 2nd deadly incident involving Eloy skydiving events in less than a month
- Grammys 2024: See the Complete Winners List
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Don Murray, Oscar nominee who once played opposite Marilyn Monroe, dies at 94: Reports
- Glen Powell Responds to His Mom Describing His Past Styles as Douchey
- Grammys 2024 best dressed stars: Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo, Janelle Monáe stun on the red carpet
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Auburn star apologizes to Morgan Freeman after thinking actor was Ole Miss fan trying to rattle him
Ranking
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Goose found in flight control of medical helicopter that crashed in Oklahoma, killing 3
- Union reaches deal with 4 hotel-casinos, 3 others still poised to strike at start of Super Bowl week
- Ayo Edebiri confronts Nikki Haley, 'SNL' receives backlash for cameo
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- Auburn star apologizes to Morgan Freeman after thinking actor was Ole Miss fan trying to rattle him
- 5 Capitol riot defendants who led first breach on Jan. 6 found guilty at trial
- Who won at the Grammys? Here's a complete winner list
Recommendation
Bodycam footage shows high
Harry Edwards, civil rights icon and 49ers advisor, teaches life lessons amid cancer fight
List of top Grammy Award winners so far
Who Is Kelly Osbourne's Masked Date at the 2024 Grammys? Why This Scary Look Actually Makes Perfect Sense
Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
Policy Experts Say the UN Climate Talks Need Reform, but Change Would be Difficult in the Current Political Landscape
Edmonton Oilers winning streak, scoring race among things to watch as NHL season resumes
Grammys 2024: Paris Jackson Covers Up 80+ Tattoos For Unforgettable Red Carpet Moment