Updated August 08, 2024 at 09:01 AM ET
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Vinesh Phogat鈥檚 dream of winning India鈥檚 first gold medal at the Paris Olympics ended in what for wrestlers is a nightmare scenario: She failed to make weight for the women鈥檚 50-kilogram category final. After initially winning a chance for a gold or silver medal, her disqualification means she will leave France without a medal of any type.
Phogat later announced her retirement from the sport, saying, "Mom, wrestling has defeated me, I lost. Forgive me, your dream, my courage is all broken, I don鈥檛 have any more strength now," according to a translation by The athlete turns 30 years old later this month.
Phogat was found to be 100 grams over the limit 鈥� about 3.5 ounces, similar to a deck of cards 鈥� according to the Indian Olympic Association. After having three bouts on Tuesday, her weight was found to have increased a bit more than normal, the association鈥檚 chief medical officer, Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, said on Wednesday.
Phogat had a successful weigh-in on Tuesday morning, , and her nutritionist calculated that she could have around 1 1/2 kilograms of water and food. She also drank small amounts of water after her matches.
But when staff checked her weight, it was over the limit. The athlete鈥檚 usual strategies for cutting weight weren鈥檛 successful, Pardiwala said.
鈥淲e had tried all possible drastic measures throughout the night, including cutting off her hair, shortening her clothes,鈥� Pardiwala said. But to no avail.
It was a cruel way to end what had seemed to be a charmed run to the gold medal match, as Phogat delivered a string of victories over highly ranked opponents. After two heartbreaking Olympics 鈥� a terrible knee injury ended her Rio 2016 campaign, and a shocking upset ousted her in Tokyo 鈥� she was finally on track to win the medal many have seen as her destiny.
Her disqualification 鈥渋s very shocking,鈥� said Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha, who met with Phogat in the Olympic Village on Wednesday.
鈥淲e are providing Vinesh all medical and emotional support,鈥� Usha said, adding that India鈥檚 wrestling federation has filed an appeal asking that the disqualification be reconsidered.
An Olympic medal would have been something of a salve to a year of turmoil in India鈥檚 wrestling community. Last summer, Phogat took on a prominent role in high-profile protests against sexual harassment, as she and other top wrestlers called for action against then-Member of Parliament Brij Bhushan Singh, an influential politician who was also once the president of the Wrestling Federation of India.
As , Singh was 鈥渁ccused by the country's seven most high-profile wrestlers, including a minor, of groping them, stalking them, demanding sexual favors and threatening them if they refuse to entertain his advances.鈥�
Singh has . In the New Delhi protests against him, Phogat and other elite athletes were confronted by police who dragged them away and detained them.
Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India's pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)
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鈥�
After Wednesday鈥檚 abrupt elimination derailed Phogat鈥檚 chance for an Olympic medal, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi , 鈥淰inesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India's pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian.鈥�
Acknowledging a 鈥渟ense of despair鈥� over the outcome, Modi added, 鈥淎t the same time, I know that you epitomise resilience. It has always been your nature to take challenges head on.鈥�
At the Paris Games, Phogat defeated a to earn a spot against Team USA鈥檚 Sarah Hildebrandt in Wednesday鈥檚 final. In her first match, she upset the reigning Olympic champion, Yui Susaki of Japan. She then beat former European champion Oksana Livach of Ukraine in the quarterfinals and Pan American Games champion Yusneylis Guzman of Cuba in the semifinals.
Because of Phogat鈥檚 disqualification, Guzman was elevated to the final to face Hildebrandt. The American .
Phogat comes from a family famous for its female wrestlers: her cousins鈥� story inspired the , from Walt Disney鈥檚 India subsidiary. She has also spoken out in favor of empowering girls and giving them more support to pursue sports.
She told in 2018, 鈥渕ost importantly, girls need to stand up for what they want to do. It鈥檚 not just about sports 鈥� even otherwise, in education or in life, girls need to stop feeling pity for themselves or considering themselves weak. You have to have the strength of belief in yourself. The first step has to be taken by a girl herself; everything else follows.鈥�
When she's injury-free, Phogat racked up wins on the mat from an early age. She took bronze at the world championships and top titles at the Commonwealth Games and the Asian championships. Her results, sometimes in weight categories a bit heavier than 50kg, have long fueled hopes for Olympic greatness that, because of around 100 grams, now remain unfulfilled.
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