Vinesh Phogat’s Olympic medal was snatched from her in the cruelest of twists of fate when she couldn’t make weight on the morning of her final in the women’s 50kg category. She will be disqualified from the competition, not allowed to compete in the final and stripped of the confirmed silver medal.
The 29-year-old was 150 grams above the 50kg weight limit.
The athlete, her coaches, and her support staff tried everything, including extreme measures like cutting her hair and attempting to draw out blood, but their efforts did not yield the desired results.
According to UWW rules, “If an athlete does not attend or fails the weigh-in, he or she will be eliminated from the competition and ranked last without a ranking.” Vinesh reached the finals after handing Yui Susaki her first-ever defeat in international competition and then beating Oksana Livach and Yuznelys Guzman in the semifinals.
Vinesh will be the first athlete to be disqualified from her final for not making weight.
Comments
SHARE