Vinesh requested for transparency on trial dates. However, there was no clarity on the same: Viren Rasquinha
Former India men's hockey captain, Viren Rasquinha has cleared the air regarding wrestler Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. Phogat, competing in the 50kg category, made history by becoming the first Indian female wrestler to reach an Olympic final. However, she was disqualified after being found 100gm overweight during the weigh-in on the morning of the gold medal match.
The sudden disqualification left many fans with unanswered questions. Now Viren Rasquinha, the CEO of Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), who have been supporting Vinesh over the past few years, took to X to give his stance on the whole matter.
Clearing the air regarding the 29-year-old wrestler's favored weight category, Rasquinha wrote:
"Almost all wrestlers the world over fight in a weight category 3-4 kgs below their normal weight. Vinesh was wrestling in the 53 kgs weight category for the last 5-6 years. She had an ACL Surgery on 17th Aug 2023 and during the rehab period, Antim Panghal won the quota for India in the 53 kgs weight category. A country can only send one wrestler per Olympic category if they seal a quota.
"Post her return to play, Vinesh would have ideally liked to compete in the 53kg category itself, which was her regular weight category. Vinesh requested for transparency on trial dates. However, there was no clarity on the same. So, she decided to go in the 50kg category and won the quota in the Olympic qualifiers. As you all saw, her choice was right and she did so well in this weight beating the Olympic and World Champion Susaki of Japan and two other wrestlers to make it to the final."
Expanding on why two weigh-ins were required, he added:
"When Vinesh made weight on day 1, she had to have a planned recovery meal post weigh in to regain some strength. Her weight bounced to 52.7 due to rehydration (even with a very tiny meal). This is also because weight loss is mainly by dehydration. So, the challenge was to now lose that 2.7 kgs until 7.15am the next morning (about 12 hours). Her semi-final final bout got over around 7pm Paris time."
On whether her team did everything possible to get her under the permissible weight, he explained:
"The team did everything possible. You cannot practice this in advance as constant weight control for wrestlers puts their health at severe risk and hampers training which is better at an optimum weight as per medical advice. Vinesh and the team did everything possible to try and make weight on day 2. The doctor, nutritionist, coach, CMO, CDM and everyone was with her throughout the night. She did not sleep even for 1 minute all night. She pushed herself to the limits to make weight. Unfortunately, she just missed the mark."
Rasquinha also denied all claims of sabotage and stated that the team could not have claimed injury to secure the silver medal as per the rules.
Here's the former hockey star's post:
Vinesh Phogat's Olympic journey brutally cut short
Vinesh Phogat's dream of a historic medal at the Paris Games was brutally cut short. After an impressive semifinal victory on Tuesday, August 6, Phogat needed to trim her weight from 52.7kg to 50 kg for her gold-medal bout in just about 12 hours.
As reported by Sportstar's Jonathan Selvaraj, in a determined effort, Phogat endured a night of intense training and sauna sessions to shed the excess weight. Despite their relentless efforts, she weighed in at 50.1 kg the following morning—just 100 grams over the limit—resulting in her disqualification.
Phogat has lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the disqualification. She also announced her retirement from the sport on Thursday, August 8.
As far as the women's 50kg wrestling event was concerned, Cuban wrestler Yusneylys Guzman, who lost to Phogat in the semifinal, replaced her in the final against the USA's Sarah Hildebrandt. Hildebrandt went on to win the gold medal with a 3-0 scoreline.