Wrestler from India Vinesh Phogat had to accept the painful fate of being disqualified when facing Sarah Ann Hildebrandt from the US in the final round of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 29-year-old athlete failed to reach the desired weight because he was 100 grams overweight at the weigh-in on Wednesday morning, August 7, 2024.
The coach, Lalit Kumar, did not expect this and it is difficult to imagine how this could happen to such an experienced wrestler.
The disqualification provisions for wrestlers are by article 11 in the United World Wrestling (UWW) rule book which states that athletes who fail to reach their ideal body weight at the weigh-in will be disqualified.
Not only does the weight not match in the first and second weigh-ins, but an athlete will be immediately eliminated from the competition if he is not present and given last place in the competition.
While in Paris, the weighing time for athletes was 15 minutes, which means Vinesh Phogat had to weigh 50 kg or less for 15 minutes after which she could reload.
In domestic competitions or even in some international events, weight reduction is of course permitted. However, the Olympics do not allow such luxuries for wrestling and boxing athletes.
Since Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the final round, her chances of getting a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics have failed. He could only take his achievements to the semifinals at the Olympics which were held in Paris.