It turned out to be a heartbreaking end to Vinesh Phogat's career. The wrestler suffered a major jolt as she was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight ahead of her 50kg category gold medal bout on Wednesday.
A dejected Vinesh announced his retirement from the sport declaring: 'Ma, wrestling has won, I have lost. Please forgive me, your dreams and my courage, everything is broken.'
Her stunning decision comes a day after Vinesh appealed against her disqualification from the Olympic finals in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), demanding that she be awarded a joint silver medal.
She spent a good part of the day on Wednesday at a polyclinic inside the Games Village owing to severe dehydration caused by her desperate measures to make the cut, which included going hungry, avoiding fluids and staying up all night to sweat it out.
Vinesh tried her level best to reduce her weight ahead of the weigh-in on Wednesday but fell narrowly short.
All desperate measures were tried including trimming her hair and cutting the elastic of her shorts, jogging, skipping and cycling all night. The coaching staff even attempted to draw out blood but it all went in vain.
Former India hockey captain Viren Rasquinha, the CEO of Olympic Gold Quest, who manage Vinesh tries to explain the situation in a statement released on Thursday:
'I am making this statement in my personal capacity. As per the rules of UWW, Vinesh Phogat had to make weight on 2 days of her 50 kgs women's wrestling category at the Paris Olympics if she reached the final or was eligible for repechage. She made weight as per rules within 50 kgs on the morning of 6th August.
'Generally, post the morning weigh in, wrestlers have a recovery meal to regain strength and your weight immediately bounces back by 2-3 kgs depending on your regular weight. Vinesh's regular weight is 55 kgs.
'On 6th August evening after the semi-final, Vinesh weighed in at 52.7 kgs. Post the semi-final, she did not have any water or food and immediately started on the plan for losing weight for the next day's weigh in which was scheduled from 7.15 am to 7.30 am Paris time.
'She and team did everything possible -- steam, sauna, static cycling, running, gym etc. Unfortunately she missed the weight by 100 gms.
'I will try to answers a few questions that I am being asked continuously.
'1. Why is Vinesh fighting in 50 kgs weight category when her normal weight is 55kgs?
'Almost all wrestlers the world over fight in a weight category 3-4 kgs below their normal weight. Vinesh was wrestling in the 53 kgs weight category for the last 5-6 years.
'She had an ACL Surgery on 17th Aug 2023 and during the rehab period, Antim Panghal won the quota for India in the 53 kgs weight category. A country can only send one wrestler per Olympic category if they seal a quota.
'Post her return to play, Vinesh would have ideally liked to compete in the 53kg category itself, which was her regular weight category.
'Vinesh requested for transparency on trial dates. However, there was no clarity on the same. So, she decided to go in the 50kg category and won the quota in the Olympic qualifiers. As you all saw, her choice was right and she did so well in this weight beating the Olympic and World Champion Susaki of Japan and two other wrestlers to make it to the final.
'2. Why give weight on 2 days?
This is as per UWW Rules. You have to weigh within your weight category on both days.
3. If Vinesh made the weight on day 1, what was the problem on day 2?
When Vinesh made weight on day 1, she had to have a planned recovery meal post weigh in to regain some strength. Her weight bounced to 52.7 due to rehydration (even with a very tiny meal).
This is also because weight loss is mainly by dehydration. So, the challenge was to now lose that 2.7 kgs until 7.15 am the next morning (about 12 hours). Her semi-final final bout got over around 7 pm Paris time.
4. Could Vinesh and the team have done anything more? Could they have planned weight management better?
The team did everything possible. You cannot practice this in advance as constant weight control for wrestlers puts their health at severe risk and hampers training which is better at an optimum weight as per medical advice. Vinesh and the team did everything possible to try and make weight on day 2. The doctor, nutritionist, coach, CMO, CDM and everyone was with her throughout the night. She did not sleep even for 1 minute all night. She pushed herself to the limits to make weight. Unfortunately, she just missed the mark.
5. Is there any possibility of sabotage?
Zero chance
6. Is there any possibility of appeal by IOA?
That is for IOA to take it up with higher authorities
7. Is there any possibility of legal remedy?
We are exploring those options but can’t say as of now as I am not an expert on this.
8. Was it an option to not go for the weigh in and say that she was injured?
Not an option. A player cannot declare herself unfit or sick. This has to be certified by the tournament doctor. If the player misses the weigh in, then the player gets disqualified.
9. Could we have asked for more time since it was only a matter of 100 grams?
The CMO, CDM strongly requested the officials for this but no leeway was given in this regard.
10. Couldn’t Vinesh have cut off her hair?
She did cut off her hair in the morning before the weigh in.
