Indus Valley Times

NEW DELHI, AUG 15 : Vinesh Phogat reacted to the Court of Arbitration for Sports’ (CAS) decision to turn down her appeal of giving her a joint-silver in Paris Olympics 2024. The 29-year-old wrestler was disqualified from the showpiece event after she was found 100 grams overweight before her women’s 50kg event gold-medal bout against USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt. After missing out on a medal, Vinesh dropped a picture where she can be seen lying on the mat with her hands on her forehead.

Earlier, Vinesh defeated Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semi-final and became the first Indian woman wrestler to qualify for the final of a wrestling event in the Olympics. She was also set to become only the second Indian female wrestler with an Olympic medal after Sakshi Malik, but the rub of the green did not go her way.

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After Vinesh was disqualified, the Cuban replaced her as the other finalist. It eventually was Hildebrandt who ended up winning gold. As per the United World Wrestling (UWW) rules, Vinesh finished last.

Vinesh Phogat etched her name in the annals of Olympic wrestling history by defeating Japan’s Yui Susaki in the opening round. This victory was monumental; Susaki entered the match with an impeccable 82-0 unbeaten record, making Vinesh’s triumph one of the greatest upsets ever in Olympic wrestling.

With this win, it seemed that Vinesh Phogat’s long wait for an Olympic medal would finally come to an end. She advanced confidently through her bouts, securing a position in the gold medal match, and hopes soared high. However, the dream was short-lived, as everything came crashing down.

Despite appeals to CAS, fortune did not favor Vinesh. Back in 2016, Vinesh’s campaign in Rio ended due to a knee injury after which she suffered a shock exit despite being a top seed. Just when it seemed that she would finish on the podium, luck eluded her.

-PTI