India’s star wrestler Vinesh Phogat was on cusp of history in the women’s freestyle 50kg category at Paris Olympics 2024, after two giant-killing victories in the Round of 16 and quarter-final. Vinesh beat two titans of 50kg wrestling: Japan’s Yui Susaki and Ukraine’s Oksana Livach. In the semi-final, she beat Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez. However, before her final bout, Vinesh Phogat, the 29-year-old was disqualified from the women’s 50kg free-style final for being 100gm overweight at the time of weigh-in. Vinesh, who was making her third Olympic appearance here, announced her retirement from the sport a day after her disqualification, saying that she doesn’t have the strength to continue.
The world championships bronze-medallist had resorted to desperate measures to save herself from disqualification, including cutting her hair, going without food and water, and working out an entire night.
She ultimately needed IV fluids due to extreme dehydration and her plight evoked sympathy across the board.
Let’s take a deep-dive about Vinesh’s two opponents, to get a better grasp of how brilliant her wins were.
Yui Susaki
Susaki is not only the no. 1-ranked wrestler, she is also the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the category. What’s even more crazy is that she had won the gold in Tokyo 2020 without giving up a single point to her opponent.
Before her match against Vinesh, Susaki had never lost an international wrestling match, boasting a mind-boggling record of 82-0. She is also a four-time gold medalist at the Wrestling World Championships. Open her Wikipedia page, and you won’t spot a single tinge of silver or bronze; it’s all gold. Susaki was the overwhelming favourite to retain her Olympic gold, but lost 3-2 in a tight contest against Vinesh.
Oksana Livach
After the monumental victory over Susaki, Vinesh Phogat rode on the momentum to beat eighth seed Oksana Livach from Ukraine in the quarter-final. Livach is a former World Championships bronze medalist (2018), and narrowly lost out on bronze in the 2024 European Wrestling Championships.
Much like Vinesh, Livach entered the quarter-final with great momentum, having won her Round of 16 match 10-0. However, Vinesh overpowered her opponent yet again, to seal her spot in the semi-final of the women’s 50kg freestyle event at Paris 2024.
Yusneylis Guzman Lopez
Guzman lost to Vinesh Phogat in semifinal but still returned home with the silver medal as she was promoted to the final after Vinesh’s disqualification. She lost to Sarah Hildebrandt of the USA in the final. Guzman is a gold medallist at the Pan American Games and the Pan American Wrestling Championships.
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Vinesh Phogat will play her semi-final match against Cuban wrestler Yusneylys Guzman, the reigning 50kg gold medalist in the Pan American Games, on Tuesday, August 6, at 10:15 PM IST tentatively.
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