Hospitalized at Paris Olympics, Silver Hope Still Alive for Wrestler Vinesh Phogat Despite Heartbreaking Outcome

The wrestling world was rocked on August 7 when India’s Vinesh Phogat, a favorite for the podium, was disqualified from her final match at the Paris Olympics for missing weight—by just 100 grams! Yep, a tiny margin with massive consequences. The hopes of over a billion Indians were dashed in that single moment. It was a tough pill to swallow, especially since Phogat had fought her way past some of the best in the game, including defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan.

And just when we thought it couldn’t get more intense, wrestling legend Jordan Burroughs dropped an update on X, mentioning some good news from Audriana Thomas.

Phogat isn’t going down without a fight. She’s taken her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), appealing for a shared silver medal despite her disqualification. A judge in Paris is hearing her appeal, and the decision could come before the Olympics wrap up this Sunday. It’s a race against time, with the medals for her event already awarded.

Vinesh Phogat’s journey has been nothing short of dramatic. After her disqualification, she announced her retirement from wrestling on Thursday. In a heartbreaking message she shared, “Ma, wrestling has won, I have lost. Please forgive me, your dreams and my courage, everything is broken. I don’t have any more strength now. Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. 1 shall be indebted to you all. Forgive (me).”

She’s a three-time Olympian who made history in 2024 as the first Indian female wrestler to reach an Olympic final. But to add to the heartbreak of her retirement announcement, the drastic weight loss measures also landed her in the hospital!

In her quest for gold, wrestling champion Vinesh Phogat’s weight cut landed her in the hospital at the Paris Olympics!

According to UWW rules, “If an athlete does not attend or fails the weigh-in, he/she will be eliminated from the competition and ranked last without rank.” Dr. Dinshaw Paudiwala, Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Contingent, explained that the trouble began with Vinesh Phogat’s usual dietary routine, which led to an unexpected 100-gram excess and, ultimately, her disqualification. Her nutritionist believed that her regular intake of 1.5 kg throughout the day would provide enough energy for her bouts, but after three intense matches, there was concern about rebound weight gain.

To prevent dehydration, some water was administered. By the end of the semi-finals, Vinesh was 2.7 kg over the allowed weight. The team, along with her coach, immediately began limiting her food and water intake and used intense sweating methods, including steam and sauna, to try and shed the excess weight.

They even resorted to cutting her hair in a desperate attempt to make weight. Unfortunately, despite all these efforts, Vinesh still missed the mark by 150 grams. Following her disqualification, Vinesh was given intravenous fluids to avoid dehydration, but the extreme measures took a toll on her health.

She was hospitalized in Paris on August 7 after fainting from dehydration, and now she’s recovering at the Olympic Village’s polyclinic, where Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha visited her that same day. If her appeal goes through, it could be a bittersweet final victory in her remarkable career. What are your thoughts on this rollercoaster journey of the talented wrestler? Share in the comments below!