Paris, Aug. 7, (dpa/GNA) – Indian wrestler Vinesh Vinesh has been disqualified from the Paris Olympics wrestling competition for being overweight in the women’s 50kg category on the morning of her gold medal bout on Wednesday.
“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,” Team India said on X.
It said “no further comments will be made” at this time and also asked for respect for Phogat’s privacy. According to media reports, Vinesh was overweight by 100 grams.
At the Paris Games, each weight category is organized over two competition days. The medical control and weigh-in for each category takes place in the morning of the first competition day.
On the second competition day, wrestlers who have qualified for the finals and repechage are weighed in again.
Vinesh, who was unseeded, had qualified for the final after winning three bouts on Tuesday, when she became the first Indian female wrestler to enter a gold medal bout.
The three-time Commonwealth Games champion defeated top seed and Tokyo 2020 champion Yui Susaki of Japan in the opening round.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a message of support to the athlete on X.
“Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India’s pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian. Today’s setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing,” Modi wrote.
GNA