Vinesh Phogat Rushed To Hospital Due To Dehydration After Paris Olympics Disqualification

Paris: In a dramatic turn of events, Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Olympics on Wednesday due to being overweight for the women’s 50kg wrestling final. This unexpected development leaves her without a medal just hours after she was on the brink of securing an unprecedented gold.

The 29-year-old wrestler reportedly undertook extreme measures, including skipping meals, limiting water intake and intense workouts to meet the weight requirement, which led to severe dehydration and her subsequent hospitalisation. Currently, she is stable and receiving medical care at the polyclinic inside the Olympic Village.

Phogat made history as the first Indian woman to reach the gold medal match in this category on Tuesday night. Initially assured of at least a silver medal, her disqualification now means she will return without any medal.

“She was found overweight by 150 grams this morning. The rules are strict, and she has been disqualified,” an Indian coach stated.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) confirmed the disqualification, emphasizing the need for privacy for Phogat, who was in her third Olympic appearance.

“It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the women’s Wrestling 50kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning,” the IOA stated.

“No further comments will be made by the contingent at this time. The Indian team requests you to respect Vinesh’s privacy. It would like to focus on the competitions on hand,” it added.

According to international rules, any wrestler found overweight at weigh-in is placed at the bottom of the final standings.

Phogat had delivered a remarkable performance on Tuesday, defeating defending champion Yui Susaki of Japan to reach the finals. She was scheduled to compete against American Sarah Ann Hildebrandt in the gold medal bout this evening.