Current:Home > InvestIndian wrestler Vinesh Phogat abruptly retires after disqualification at Olympics -GrowthSphere Strategies
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat abruptly retires after disqualification at Olympics
View
Date:2025-04-19 04:51:48
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 tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @Tom_Schad.
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- 1 killed, 6 injured when pickup truck collides with horse-drawn buggy in Virginia
- Exes Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes Reunite at Copa America Final Match
- US health officials confirm four new bird flu cases, in Colorado poultry workers
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- Sparks Fly in Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Double Date Photo With Brittany and Patrick Mahomes
- Lionel Messi brought to tears after an ankle injury during Copa America final
- Rebecca Gayheart Shares Sweet Update on Her and Eric Dane’s Daughters
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- FACT FOCUS: A look at false claims around the assassination attempt on former President Trump
Ranking
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Texas judge orders sheriff, school district to release Uvalde school shooting records
- MLB power rankings: All-Star break arrives with new life for Red Sox, Mets and Astros
- Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin delivers emotional tribute to father at SEC media days
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- TikToker Bella Brave Dead at 10 After Heartbreaking Health Battle
- Powell says Federal Reserve is more confident inflation is slowing to its target
- Macy's ends talks with investment firms that bid $6.9 billion for ailing retailer
Recommendation
Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
Schools receive third — and potentially final — round of federal funding for homeless students
NFL Hall of Famer says he was unjustly handcuffed and ‘humiliated’ on a flight
Armie Hammer Details Why He Sold Timeshares in the Cayman Islands Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
Video captures chaotic moment when Trump reportedly shot on stage at rally
FACT FOCUS: A look at false claims around the assassination attempt on former President Trump
Atlanta's Marcell Ozuna in Home Run Derby spotlight after arrests: 'I pray people can forgive'