Wrestler Vinesh Phogat was hospitalised on Wednesday, August 7 in Paris minutes after she was disqualified from the women's 50kg final at the Paris Olympics. The Olympian fainted due to dehydration, sources have said. Phogat stood on the cusp of ultimate glory in the Paris Olympic Games 2024 but has now be disqualified from the competition entirely.
Vinesh, who was competing in the 50kg freestyle wrestling category, is out of the competition, having been weighed over the limit for her event. Vinesh usually competes in the 53kg category but brought her weight down to 50kg for the Paris Olympics. On Day 2 of her weigh-in, however, Vinesh was found weighing over the desired limit, though by a small margin of about 100 grams.
Earlier, Vinesh had scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the final of a wrestling event in Olympic Games. But, fate had something else in store for her. The Indian coach revealed that Vinesh was found overweight by just 100gm on Wednesday morning. Though the margin was small, the rules do not allow for an exception to be made. As a result of Vinesh's disqualification, she will not win any medal in the Paris Games. Though Vinesh was assured of a silver, her disqualification means that she would need to return home empty-handed. In the semifinals, Vinesh outmuscled Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez to confirm a medal and become the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the final at the Olympics.