Billion dreams were shattered on Wednesday morning following the news about the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat in the Paris Olympics 2024. The Indian wrestler was all set to wrestle in the women’s 50kg Wrestling event final against USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt only to find herself over 100 grams overweight resulting in her getting disqualified.
The Indian wrestler was approximately 2 kilos overweight on the eve of the final bout. Vinesh is the first athlete to be disqualified from her final for not making weight. Let’s find out how weigh-in rules for Olympic wrestling works
Olympic weigh-in rules explained
Any changes in the final entries compared to the initial entries must be submitted by the team leader to the organizer by 12:00 PM the day before the weigh-in. These changes are only allowed under exceptional circumstances, such as an injury confirmed by a medical certificate. No changes are accepted after this deadline.
Weigh-ins are conducted each morning for the relevant weight category. The weigh-in and medical control sessions last 30 minutes.
On the second morning, only wrestlers participating in the repechages and finals need to undergo the weigh-in, which lasts 15 minutes.
Wrestlers must undergo a medical examination on the first morning of the competition. Without this examination, wrestlers are not allowed to participate in the weigh-in.
Wrestlers must present their license and accreditation during the medical examination and weigh-in. The only acceptable attire for the weigh-in is the singlet. No weight tolerance is allowed for the singlet’s weight. Wrestlers must be in perfect physical condition, including having their fingernails cut very short.
During the weigh-in period, wrestlers are allowed to get on the scale multiple times. Referees are responsible for ensuring wrestlers meet the weight requirements for their category and adhere to the dress code. Any wrestler not in correct attire will not be weighed.
Referees will control only the athletes on the official draw list. If a wrestler fails to attend or pass the weigh-in (on either the first or second day), they will be eliminated from the competition and ranked last, without rank.
If an athlete is injured during the first day, they do not need to attend the second weigh-in and will retain their results from the first day. These procedures ensure that all wrestlers compete fairly and within their designated weight categories. Adherence to these rules is crucial for the integrity of the competition and the safety of the participants.
Vinesh Phogat Hospitalised
There was more bad news for the Indian fans after the news emerged about Vinesh Phogat beginning to dehyderate and had to be rushed to the hospital by the medical team. This happened after she was disqualified from gold medal match . As per the reports, the Indian grappler did not sleep the entire night after qualifying for the final and was working hard to shed extra weight in order to be eligible to play her maiden Olympic final.
