Top Female Athlete Removed From Olympic Gold Medal Final for Being Overweight

Vinesh Phogat, an Olympic athlete for India, was disqualified from wrestling at the Paris Olympics when it was determined that she was overweight, according to Olympics.com and Team India.

Olympics.com reports that Phogat “was found overweight in the women’s 50kg category on the morning of her gold medal bout.” Team India released a statement on August 7 on its X page:

It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women’s Wrestling 50kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning. No further comments will be made by the contingent at this time. The Indian team requests you respect Vinesh’s privacy. It would like to focus on the competitions on hand.

Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, the Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), told Olympics.com that the team even cut off the wrestler’s hair to no avail.

“Vinesh was found to be 100 grams over her 50kg weight category, and hence, she was disqualified. All possible drastic measures, including cutting off her hair, were used. However, she was not below her allowed weight of 50kg,” Pardiwala told Olympics.com.

According to Olympics.com, wrestling “bouts in each weight category are held over two days,” and athletes are weighed to make sure they still qualify to compete in their category on “the morning before the events begin.” If they weigh too much for their category, they are disqualified, the site reports.

Olympics.com describes Phogat as “a part of India’s famed Phogat sisters” and “the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold medals at both the Asian and Commonwealth Games.”

People on X slammed the support staff. “Fire the support staffs. What were they doing to make wrestlers in proper shape for the respective weight categories!! Can’t believe this,” wrote one person after Phogat’s disqualification.

Another person wrote on X, “This is absolutely shocking & heartbreaking! Before we take the easy path of blaming the Olympics for conspiring against India, one must ask whether India has a competent staff for ensuring that its athletes are ready for competition and compliant with the rules!”

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The Chief Medical Officer Explained the Process of Cutting Weight in Olympic Wrestling Competitions

Pardiwala explained to Olympics.com that “Wrestlers usually participate in a weight category less than their natural weight. It gives them an advantage since they are fighting with less stronger opponents. The process of weight cut involves a calculated restriction of food and water along with sweating from exercises and sauna till the morning weigh-in.”

“This weight cut causes weakness and energy depletion, which is counter-productive to participation, and hence, for energy restoration, limited water, and high-energy foods are given after weigh-in. Vinesh’s nutritionist had calculated this to be 1.5kg. There sometimes is also a rebound weight gain following competition,” Pardiwala said.

The doctor noted, “Vinesh had three bouts, and hence, small amounts of water had to be given to prevent dehydration. Her post-participation weight was found to be increased. The coach initiated the normal process of weight cut that he has always employed with Vinesh and felt confident that it would be achieved.”

Phogat has expressed disappointment at the disqualification, according to Olympics.com, citing Pardiwala.

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Vinesh Phogat Suffered Setbacks in Other Olympic Competitions Too

According to Olympics.com, Phogat’s bid for a medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics also led to disappointment, when she suffered a knee injury that dashed her hopes.

In Tokyo, she lost in a “quarter-final bout,” Olympics.com reported.

Olympics.com lists these family members of Phogat as being elite athletes:

Cousin, Geeta Phogat (wrestling), finished 13th in 55kg at London 2012.

Cousin, Babita Phogat (wrestling), placed 13th in the 43kg weight class at Rio 2016.

Brother-in-law, Bajrang Punia (wrestling), Freestyle 65kg bronze medallist at Tokyo 2020.

Cousin, Ritu Phogat (wrestling/mixed martial arts), won a silver medal in 48kg U23 wrestling at the world championships. She now competes in mixed martial arts in the Kumite 1 League in India.

Sister, Priyanka Phogat (wrestling), silver medallist in 55kg at the 2016 Asian Championships.

The New York Times reported that Phogat “became one of the faces of high-profile protests against a powerful sports official accused of sexually harassing female wrestlers in India” in 2023.

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