Vinesh Phogat beats Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman in women's 50kg semis; becomes the first Indian female wrestler to reach an Olympics final
Vinesh Phogat made history at the Paris Olympics 2024 by storming into the women's 50kg wrestling final, ensuring India at least a silver medal. In a gripping semifinal clash, Phogat dominated Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman Lopez with a decisive 5-0 victory.
The bout started cautiously, with both wrestlers wary of conceding points. Phogat took an early lead through a passivity point and maintained her defensive prowess throughout the first period.
As tensions mounted in the second round, Guzman received a passivity warning, triggering a 30-second countdown to score. Sensing the opportunity, Phogat seized control, executing a brilliant move to secure two points from a leg hold and then another two through an exposure, taking her tally to 5-0.
With just over a minute left, Vinesh Phogat's brilliant defensive skills thwarted every attempt by Guzman to make a comeback. Thus, with that, Phogat made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final.
Vinesh Phogat's stellar road to Paris Olympics 2024 final
Vinesh Phogat began her day with a stunning victory over Japan's Yui Susaki, a wrestler often considered unbeatable. Susaki, who was the defending champion, had not conceded a single point in her Tokyo Olympics 2020 gold medal campaign.
Phogat continued her impressive run, winning her quarterfinal match against Ukraine's Oksana Livach.
She then dominated Cuba's Yusneylys Guzman in the semifinals with a 5-0 score, securing her spot in the women's 50kg final.
Vinesh Phogat was a strong medal prospect for India at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Her 2016 bid was cut short by a severe injury during the competition, and she narrowly missed out on a medal in Tokyo while struggling with another injury.
Her preparation for Paris 2024 was disrupted by her involvement in the wrestlers' protest, followed by an ACL that saw her out of the Asian Games 2023 as well but she has made a return to watch out for.
She is now poised to become the first Indian woman wrestler to win either a silver or gold medal.