Mashable: The wrestler couldn’t make the weight.

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has been disqualified from the Paris Olympics 2024 after she could not make the weight on the day of her 50 kg gold-medal bout. The Indian Olympic Association confirmed the development in a statement shared on Wednesday, August 7. The wrestler was roughly about 100 grams over the permissible weight limit.

Vinesh Phogat will not be eligible for a silver medal and the 50 kg division will just have gold and bronze medal winners in this tournament. The Indian Olympic Association (IOC) stated, “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.”

They added, “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.” Vinesh Phogat was one of the Indian wrestlers to stage a sit-in during the infamous 2023 Indian Wrestlers’ protest, accusing the Wrestling Federation of India president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and other coaches of sexually harassing female players, demanding their termination.

Her trailblazing move to stand up for fellow athletes got Phogat arrested but the country hasn’t forgotten her astounding effort. Amid her dismissal, Indians have extended support toward the wrestler in abundance. One user on X wrote, “Keep your head up, champ. Your journey inspires us all.” Another called it an “absolute tragedy.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Singh Modi encouraged Vinesh to overcome the crisis by making a strong return in the future. “Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India's pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian. Today's setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing. At the same time, I know that you epitomise resilience. It has always been your nature to take challenges head on. Come back stronger! We are all rooting for you,” he wrote on X.

Vinesh Phogat’s astounding stint at the Paris Olympics 2024 began with her defeating reigning world champion Japan’s Yui Susaki in the first round of the Women’s 50kg Freestyle event. She registered victory over Ukraine’s Oksana Livach in the quarterfinals and then took on Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez. In the finals, she was going to fight against USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt.