Vinesh Phogat, a celebrated Indian wrestler known for her remarkable achievements on the global stage, has recently sparked discussions about her retirement. This follows her surprising disqualification at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Here is everything’s that currently known about whether Vinesh Phogat is retiring from wrestling.
Vinesh Phogat’s retirement explained
Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling. This decision comes following her disqualification from the women’s 50kg freestyle final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The disqualification, due to her being 100 grams over the weight limit, came as a shock to fans and the sports community. It occurred just before her much-anticipated gold medal match.
Phogat is the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the gold medal final in her category. She appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) after her disqualification, requesting a joint silver medal. Despite her rigorous efforts to make weight, including extreme dieting and spending hours in the sauna, she could not meet the required weight. “Wrestling won and I lost. My dreams are shattered. I don’t have any more strength,” Phogat expressed on X (formerly on Twitter).
Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman Lopez took Phogat’s place in the final, where Sarah Hildebrandt of the USA won 3-0. PT Usha, President of the Indian Olympic Association, and Dinshaw Pardiwala, Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Olympic team, expressed their disappointment and detailed the extreme measures taken to help Phogat lose weight.
As reported by The Economic Times, PT Usha said, “After hearing the news that Vinesh Phogat is disqualified, I am shocked and disappointed. I had come here to meet Vinesh; she is physically and medically okay. Mentally, she is disappointed. Our support staff is with her, trying their best to help her reduce weight.”
Phogat’s retirement ends a distinguished career, highlighted by gold medals in the Asian and Commonwealth Games. Her announcement led to an outpouring of support on social media, with many fans and athletes praising her achievements.
