"Wrestling Has Defeated Me, I've Lost" - Vinesh Phogat Announces Retirement

Vinesh Phogat has announced her retirement from wrestling following her disqualification from the Paris Olympics. The wrestler was set to compete in the final of the women’s 50 kg freestyle wrestling on Wednesday after winning the semi-final on Tuesday. However, she was found to be 100 grams overweight for her 50 kg category, leading to her disqualification on the morning of the final bout. The 29-year-old took to her social media platform to announce her decision to retire from the sport. In a clearly devastated state, Vinesh in her retirement announcement stated, “Wrestling has defeated me, I've lost.”

The Disqualification Of Vinesh Phogat From Paris Olympics 2024

The Paris Olympics 2024 was Phogat’s third attempt at the tournament after qualifying for the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In previous seasons, Phogat missed out on a medal due to injuries. The Paris Olympics initially seemed to be the season for a medal win for Phogat. She defeated the gold medalist of the 2020 Olympics, Yui Sasaki of Japan, to advance to the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Phogat then went on to win the quarter-final and semi-final, scheduled on the same day, becoming the first Indian to enter the final bout of the women’s wrestling event at the Olympics.

By the end of Tuesday, Phogat had ensured at least a silver medal for India, with her gold medal match scheduled for Wednesday against Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the US. However, the excitement didn’t carry over to the final day as it presented a horrendous outcome. Phogat failed her weight test on the morning of the final bout and was disqualified from the tournament. Reports following the disastrous turn of events revealed that Phogat had gained 2.7 kg on Tuesday due to water intake between her bouts. The wrestler then stayed awake all night leading to the final test, doing everything in her power to shed the extra kilos.

In the 15-minute window presented to her to take the test as many times as she wished, the team tried cutting her hair and clothes short to fall back into the 50 kg frame. Reportedly, the wrestler vomited and even tried to draw blood to escape the fail. However, nothing proved enough for Vinesh as she still weighed a little over 100 grams more than 50 kilos. Thus, the wrestler was disqualified from the tournament, forcing her to end the campaign without a medal.

Vinesh Phogat Announces Retirement Following The Paris Olympics Heartbreak

Early on Thursday morning, Vinesh Phogat took to X to announce her retirement from wrestling through a heartbreaking tweet. The 29-year-old summed up her statement, stating that wrestling had defeated her as she couldn’t fulfill her and her family’s dream of an Olympic medal.

“Mother, wrestling won the match against me, I lost," Vinesh wrote on X on Thursday morning. "Forgive me, your dream, my courage is all broken, I don't have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024," Vinesh wrote further.

Following Phogat’s disqualification, the 50 kg category had no silver winner. The gold medal was won by Sarah Hildebrandt of America as she beat Yusneylys Guzmán Lopez of Cuba, who earned her place in the final after Phogat’s disqualification. Earlier, Phogat had beaten the Cuban 5-0 in the semi-final to advance to the final match.

The IOA has filed an appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the decision. The IOA, on Phogat’s behalf, appealed that the wrestler should be eligible for a shared silver medal and a chance at the gold medal bout. The CAS, in turn, informed them that they couldn’t delay the gold medal match. However, they will give an interim verdict on the issue on Thursday.

Mahavir Singh Phogat Says Vinesh Will Return For The 2028 LA Olympics

In another update, Vinesh Phogat’s uncle and coach, Mahavir Phogat, stated that he would try to talk Vinesh out of her retirement. Mahavir Phogat said that he, along with wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Babita Phogat, and Geeta Phogat, would talk to her and subsequently prepare her for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“Look, we expected a medal in the 2016 and 2021 Olympics and we were confident she would bring gold this year. It is expected of a person to feel sad under such circumstances, so we will make her understand and then make a decision,” Mahavir Phogat said. “Yes, definitely, we will prompt her to try for the 2028 Olympics. We will speak to her when she returns and we will all sit and talk.” he added further.

Sakshi Malik is the only Indian wrestler to win an Olympic medal in the women’s wrestling event. The wrestler won a bronze medal in the 58 kg women’s freestyle wrestling event at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Vinesh Phogat came the closest after Malik as she locked in a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. However, the disqualification put her at the bottom of her category.