Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from Paris Olympics: 100g crush a billion hopes, flip dream of gold to mud | Paris Olympics 2024 Information

PARIS: It was a nice morning. There was hope within the coronary heart, the espresso smelt good. The day by day battle to prepare, catch the metro and attain the competitors venue didn’t appear that daunting. One thing had occurred final night time that had lifted the spirits.
But it surely all modified with a easy, but chilling message: “Vinesh Phogat has been disqualified.” It was a bolt from the blue.A way of disbelief took over. What occurred?
She had failed to keep up her weight and was discovered to be practically 100 grams obese.

It was merciless. To place 100g in perspective, that’s how a lot a bar of cleaning soap or two eggs weigh. Vinesh had waged epic battles. She led the protest in opposition to the federation chief, took him to court docket for alleged sexual harassment. She slept on the road at Jantar Mantar and confronted police’s hostility.
She couldn’t prepare for nearly a yr, however there was this unfinished enterprise. She returned to the mat. She didn’t qualify within the 53kg class, her class, and settled for 50kg. She needed to be in Paris.
How did this mishap occur? Vinesh had no hassle at Tuesday morning’s weigh-in. Amidst three back-to-back bouts, she stored replenishing with fluids and a few meals. That’s a traditional routine amid a number of exhausting contests But it surely provides to physique weight. Wrestlers and their help employees know that. It’s all the time a problem.
Vinesh didn’t converse to media after successful her semifinal in opposition to her Cuban rival Tuesday night. Her eyes signalled she had a lot to say. “Kal baat karoongi (Will speak tomorrow),” she mentioned, safe in the truth that she was the primary Indian girl wrestler in an Olympics gold medal battle.
However she added, “Weight handle karna hai abhi.” She knew she had crossed the restrict. All of them do. It was going to be a problem. Sources mentioned she was 2.7kg above restrict. She didn’t sleep. She jogged, cycled, sat within the sauna, did every little thing to “handle” her weight. She failed. The world round her had crumbled.