India’s Phogat retires after failing to make weight for gold medal bout

PARIS: Vinesh Phogat said she has retired from wrestling following the Indian’s disqualification before the women’s 50kg freestyle final at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday after failing to make weight.

Phogat was set to lock horns with American Sarah Hildebrandt for the gold medal but the 29-year-old fell 100 grams short despite starving herself for a week and spending hours in the sauna to cut down to her competition weight.

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“Wrestling won and I lost. My dreams are shattered. I don’t have any more strength,” Phogat wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all. I am sorry.”

Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman Lopez replaced Phogat in the final where Hildebrandt won 3-0 to take the gold.