From Olympics Disqualification to Retirement: Vinesh Phogat's Journey

India's ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat has announced her retirement from the sport following her disqualification in the 50 kg freestyle wrestling final at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 29-year-old athlete was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight hours before her gold medal bout in the 50 kg category on Wednesday.

Vinesh, who usually competes in the 53 kg category, had moved down to the 50 kg weight class for the Paris Games.

Here's a timeline of her journey from disqualification to retirement:

February 2024: Vinesh made her return to the wrestling mat by winning the national championship in the 55 kg category.

March 2024: She competed in both the 50 kg and 53 kg categories, securing victory in the lighter division at the selection trials for the Asian Wrestling Championships and the Asian Olympic Games qualifier.

April 2024: Vinesh earned an Olympic quota in the women's 50 kg category by reaching the final of the Asian Olympic qualifier.

July 6, 2024 (Morning): Phogat enters the Olympics in the 50 kg category - wins against xx, then defeats xx to enter the semifinals. Comes up against Cuba's xx and beats her xx, ensuring at least a silver medal in her third Olympic appearance.

July 6-July 7 (Intertwining Night): Post-participation weight at the end of the semi-finals in the evening was found to be 2.7 kg more than the allowed weight. The team started off their usual process and just had 12 hours. 

So the whole night, the entire team, went ahead with this whole process of trying to reduce her weight, whatever was medically possible.

When she couldn't sweat anymore, they even had to take some drastic measures like cutting off her hair, shortening clothes.

July 7 Morning: After a long night of trying to reduce weight and meet the standards needed to compete, Vinesh walks in to get weighed at 12: 30 pm IST (9 am Central European Time). 

Heartbroken over missing out on a medal Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement today morning from wrestling on social media platform X, just hours after her disqualification at the Olympics.

"Wrestling won the match against me, I lost...my courage is all broken, I don't have any more strength now.  Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will forever be in your debt," she wrote in her post.