A year of protest against the federation chief. Slept on pavements for 40 days.
Was beaten, dragged by the police. Nearly immersed all her medals in the Ganga. Underwent knee surgery. Sealed her Olympic spot after an unforgiving qualification process.
Became the 1st Indian woman wrestler to qualify for three successive Olympics. And now at Paris Olympics 2024, she’s beaten the unbeatable defending champ, won two more bouts to become the first Indian woman to reach a wrestling Olympic final.
Words fail to appreciate what Vinesh Phogat has just done.
Historic Achievement
Vinesh Phogat has created history by becoming the first Indian woman to make it to an Olympic wrestling final. Phogat achieved this feat by defeating Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman 5-0 in the semifinal of the women’s 50 kg category at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Tuesday, 07th August, 2024.
Dominant In The Semifinal
Vinesh Phogat, participating in the 50 kg weight category for the first time, showed her class when she won the bout through a points decision. The win assured India of a medal in the event and took Phogat into the gold-medal match to be held on Wednesday, where she will face USA’s Sarah Ann Hildebrandt.
Story Of The Semi-Final
In the semifinal bout, Phogat first got her point due to passivity by Guzman. Later on, availing a second passivity warning against her opponent in the second round, she bagged four points and cemented her position for the final.
Here’s Phogat’s journey to the semi-finals of Paris 2024.
Impressive Form At Paris 2024
Phogat’s journey to the final of the Paris Olympics 2024 has been excellent. Barely a few days ago, she had made news when she beat defending champion Yui Susaki of Japan in the round of 16. She then carried her fine form into the next round by beating Ukraine’s Oksana Livach in the quarterfinals.
Awaits Gold-Medal Bout
With her recent performance, Vinesh Phogat is now only the second Indian woman wrestler to secure an Olympic medal after Sakshi Malik managed the feat. The wrestling fraternity and Indian sports enthusiasts keenly await her performance in the final bout as she aims to bring home a piece of gold.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye
