Vinesh Phogat’s journey at the 2024 Paris Olympics was nothing short of dramatic, filled with highs and heartbreaking lows. The 29-year-old Indian wrestler made history by reaching the final of the women’s 50kg freestyle event, but her Olympic dream was abruptly shattered when she was disqualified on the day of the final. The disqualification, which occurred last week, was a blow not only to Vinesh Phogat but also to her supporters and the nation, who had high hopes for her securing a silver medal.
On Wednesday, Vinesh Phogat’s last hope for redemption was dashed when the ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected her appeal against the disqualification. The appeal had been her final attempt to overturn the decision and compete for what could have been a belated Olympic medal.
In the aftermath of this disappointment, Woller Akos, Vinesh Phogat’s coach at the Paris Games, revealed the grueling and harrowing experiences that led up to her disqualification. In a candid Facebook post, initially written in Hungarian and later removed, Akos detailed the extreme measures Vinesh Phogat had to endure in her efforts to meet the weight requirements for the final.
Akos described the intense struggle Vinesh Phogat faced after the semi-final, where she was left with 2.7 kg of excess weight to shed. Despite exercising for over an hour and twenty minutes, she was only able to lose 1.2 kg. Even after 50 minutes in a sauna, no further sweat appeared. With no other options available, Vinesh Phogat continued to work out on various cardio machines and perform wrestling moves from midnight until 5:30 in the morning, taking short breaks between sessions. The relentless effort took a severe toll on her, causing her to collapse at one point. Despite this, Akos and his team managed to get her back on her feet, and she spent an additional hour in the sauna.
Akos’s post vividly recounted the tension and fear of that night, as he recalled thinking, “She might die.” The extreme measures Vinesh Phogat was forced to take highlighted the physical and emotional strain she endured in her pursuit of Olympic glory.
In a poignant conversation that night, after a visit to the hospital, Vinesh Phogat shared her thoughts with Akos. She expressed that despite the disqualification, she had already achieved a significant victory by defeating Japan’s Yui Susaki, the best woman wrestler in the world. Vinesh Phogat’s words reflected her resilience and determination, as she told her coach, “Medals, podiums are just objects. Performance cannot be taken away.”
The coach also revealed an emotional moment involving fellow wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia. Vinesh Phogat had pleaded with them not to discard their hard-earned Olympic medals in the river, urging them to keep the medals as they were special. However, Malik and Punia explained to her that the journey and the experiences they gained were what truly mattered, not the medals themselves.
Akos ended his post by expressing pride in Vinesh Phogat’s achievements and the professional program that enabled her to reach the Olympic final, a historic first for an Indian woman wrestler. Despite the disqualification and the absence of a medal, Akos emphasized that the victory lay in proving that their strategies worked and that Vinesh Phogat could compete with the best in the world.
The revelations from Akos shed light on the immense physical and psychological challenges Vinesh Phogat faced during the Paris Olympics. Her story is a testament to her courage, determination, and the indomitable spirit that defines an athlete’s pursuit of excellence.
