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India’s Vinesh Phogat was forced to end her campaign in a heartbreaking move after she failed to comply to the weight, weighing overweight by just 100 grams ahead of her gold medal match against the USA in the women’s 50kg bout at the Paris Olympics 2024. As per the ruling of the UWW, Vinesh will now finish last in the standings of her event and will not be eligible for any medal.
“If an athlete does not attend or fails the weigh-in, he/she will be eliminated from the competition and ranked last without rank,” reads UWW’s statement. But with Vinesh bowing out of the competition, it is to be seen who replaces her in the final clash.
Who will fight USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt in the women’s 50kg bout?
After Vinesh’s disqualification, the organising committee of the Paris Olympics confirmed an update on final bout. They confirmed that Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez will replace Phogat in the final for the gold-medal match.
In a statement the Paris Games organising committee stated, “Vinesh failed second day weigh-in. According to the article 11 of the International Wrestling Rules, Vinesh will be replaced by the wrestler who lost against her in the semifinal. Therefore, Yusneylis Guzman Lopez will compete in the final.”
Moreover, on Vinesh’s side of the women’s 50kg freestyle draw, the “repechage Yui Susaki (Japan) vs Oksana Livach (Ukraine) will become a bronze-medal match,” it further stated.
