Vinesh Phogat Disqualified: How exactly does the weigh-in work in wrestling at the Olympics?
Indian ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat suffered disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024 after her weight was found to be over the limit, ahead of the 50 kg women’s wrestling final event on Wednesday, August 7. But, how exactly does the weigh-in work at the Olympics in wrestling?
Weigh-ins for the wrestlers typically occur on the morning of their competition day. Each weight class generally has two days of Olympic competition - The first day for qualification rounds and the second day for final and repechage rounds. Wrestlers who advance to the finals or the repechage rounds must weigh in on both days.
During the initial weigh-in, wrestlers will have a 30-minute window to check their weight while wearing their singlets. They may step on the scale as many times as needed during the given period.
Additionally, the wrestlers are checked for signs of contagious diseases and must have their fingernails trimmed short. For the second weigh-in, which is required for those competing in the finals or repechage rounds, the time limit is reduced to 15 minutes.
Vinesh Phogat was found weighing 100 grams above her weight limit
Notably, Vinesh Phogat was expected to take on the USA grappler Sarah Hildebrandt on Wednesday night in the gold medal bout. However, she was found weighing 100 grams above the 50 kg weight limit.
Despite her coaches and support staff trying various methods, such as cutting her hair and drawing blood, their efforts did not affect reducing her weight.
The United World Wrestling rules state that if an athlete doesn’t attend or fails the weigh-in, he or she will be eliminated from the competition and ranked last without a ranking.
“It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women’s Wrestling 50kg class,” the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) released the statement.
“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 at hand,” the statement read.