Why India’s star wrestler was disqualified at the Olympics

Wrestling star Vinesh Phogat was disqualified at the Olympics. What happened? vox.com/culture CULTURE   It’s Olympics season, which means it’s time for all of us to get deeply invested in sports we’d never heard of three weeks ago. (I myself am all about canoe and kayak slalom for the moment; so cinematic!) One of the most important Olympics stories of the week, though, is about a much less obscure event: women’s wrestling. Ellen Ioanes has the tale of why wrestling star Vinesh Phogat — widely expected to net India its first gold medal in any women’s Olympics event ever — [was disqualified just before her final match](. As Ellen lays out, Phogat’s disqualification isn’t only important because of India’s dashed gold-medal dreams. Phogat was instrumental in pushing out the head of the Wrestling Federation of India, who allegedly sexually harassed and tormented his athletes. Her story is part of the global tale of the campaign to make women’s sports safer, and the consequences the athletes who speak up can face. —[Constance Grady](, senior correspondent Why India’s star wrestler was disqualified at the Olympics [Vinesh Phogat laying down on a blue and orange mat, pictured from above]( Dan Mullan/Getty Images India’s star Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat is out of the competition ahead of a gold medal match, after being disqualified for being over her class’s weight limit. It’s a devastating end to the Paris games for the wrestler who has led the charge against sexual harassment at the highest levels of her sport. Had she been able to compete and won Wednesday’s match, she would have been the [first Indian woman to win a gold medal in any Olympic event.]( Phogat, who often wrestles at a 53-kilogram weight — or about 116 pounds — made the 50-kilogram (about 110 pounds) berth after another wrestler won the 53-kilogram spot on India’s wrestling team. She knew that getting down to competition weight would be difficult, she said in an April interview: “I gain weight easily. It doesn’t matter how fit I am, I still gain weight because I have a lot of muscle mass.” She had been able to maintain the lower weight until Wednesday, when she weighed in at just 100 grams over the weight limit — despite the drastic measures she had taken over the past week to maintain her 50-kilogram weight. Phogat barely ate, spent hours in a sauna and exercised, and even tried cutting her hair to make weight, according to Team India’s chief medical officer. But that 100 grams — around 3.5 ounces — meant she couldn’t compete in Wednesday’s match, and wouldn’t receive a medal at all despite her dominance. She put up a phenomenal performance in Paris, beating out Japanese Olympic gold medalist Yui Susaki in the first round, and dominating thereafter, seemingly guaranteeing India either a gold or silver medal. Her wins — and sudden disqualification — have put her [recent crusade against sexual harassment in India’s national wrestling organization]( back in the spotlight. And though her Olympics are over, there’s now global attention on her activism as much as her athletic prowess. [Read the full story »]( I’m a Black vegan. Why don’t you see more of us? People of color are more likely to be vegan. But the animal rights movement still has a white face. [Read the full story »]( Those Olympics AI ads feel bad for a reason It’s not just Google’s “Dear Sydney” commercial that feels soulless and strange. [Read the full story »](   [Become a Vox Member]( Support our journalism — become a Vox Member and you’ll get exclusive access to the newsroom with members-only perks including newsletters, bonus podcasts and videos, and more. [Join our community](   More good stuff to read today - [Why “pop-up” restaurants are everywhere now]( - [Money Talks: The Black business owners who forged a partnership in uncertain times]( - [Missing a friend from the past? You should reach out.]( - [Ditching factory farming can help prevent another pandemic]( - [Do celebrity endorsements matter?]( - [Why Kamala Harris’s fundraising spree might prove more valuable than Trump’s](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=culture). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Policy]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved.