In a twist of fate for India’s Vinesh Phogat, the wrestler has been disqualified from the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal bout after failing to meet her 50 kg weight requirement. (Full Olympics Coverage|More Sports News)
Phogat, 29, was "found overweight by 100gm this morning" which led to the disqualification. She was scheduled to take on United States' Sarah Hildebrandt in the final. Hildebrandt will now fight Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman, who lost to the Indian in the semi-final, for the gold medal. Yui Susaki of Japan and Oksana Livach of Ukraine will compete for bronze.
“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,” the Indian Olympic Association said in a statement.
The weigh-in process is a massive part of any wrestling competition and is strictly followed for every event that comes under the International Wrestling Rules of United World Wrestling.
Entry Formalities
Any change in an entry compared to the initial entry must be submitted by the team leader to the event organiser by 12:00 PM a day prior before the weigh-in - and changes are only allowed under major and exceptional circumstances such as injury with a medical certificate.
Weigh-In Schedule
Weigh-ins are supervised every morning for every weight category, and the session lasts about half an hour. On the next morning, competitors taking part in the competition will go through a weigh-in process that will last 15 minutes.
Examination Process
The wrestlers should undergo a medical examination on the first morning of the competition, and will not be allowed further for the weigh-in process without the same.
Documentation and weigh-in process
During the weigh-ins, the wrestlers are let on the scale multiple times, and the referees are very much responsible for ensuring they meet the attire and weight requirements.
What the UWW's rulebook says
The United World Wrestling (UWW), sports governing body has a well-defined rule (Article 8 Competition System) which reads: "The medical control and a first weigh-in will be held the morning of the concerned weight category."
"The qualified athletes for the finals and repechages will be weigh-in again the second morning of the concerned weight category. No more weight tolerance will be allowed for the second weigh-in. 2kg weight tolerance is allowed for World Cup and for the International Tournaments (Except UWW Ranking Events)."
UWW's Chapter 3, Article 11 also says: "For all competitions, the weigh-in is organized each morning of the concerned weight-category. The weigh-in and the medical control lasts 30 minutes.
"The second morning of the concerned weight category only the wrestlers who participate in the repechages and finals have to come for the weigh-in. This weigh-in will last 15 minutes."
