Star Indian grappler Vinesh Phogat, competing for the first time in the women's 50kg category, faced a shocking disqualification from the Olympic women's wrestling competition on Wednesday (August 7) after she was found to be approximately 100 grams over the allowed weight limit.
The disqualification means Vinesh Phogat will not compete in the gold medal match of the 50kg women's wrestling final, scheduled for tonight, and will finish the competition in last place.
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A loss in the final would have still secured Vinesh Phogat a silver medal, but the disqualification leaves her without any medal, and no appeal can be made against the decision.
As per a report in Sportstar, Vinesh's team revealed details of what happened over the past two days. They said, "Vinesh weighed 49.9kg yesterday morning, which is significantly below her normal weight range of around 57kg. She made a huge effort to keep her weight down to 50kg. However, maintaining that weight on the second day was almost impossible. The moment she had even a small meal, her weight would jump to at least 53kg. She needed to do this to have the strength to fight three bouts. She weighed 52.7kg after the semifinals last night. Since then, she did not consume any water or food, and she also did not sleep. The team ran a sauna all night and managed to get her weight down to 50.1kg by morning. However, there was no time left to cut down the excess weight."
Vinesh Phogat hospitalised due to dehydration after disqualification
The 29-year-old took extreme measures to meet the weight requirement, including zero intake of food and water, which led to severe dehydration. At present, Vinesh is stable and resting in the polyclinic at the Olympic Village.