After Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the gold medal match for missing her weight at the Paris Games, the Indian wrestler’s replacement in the women’s 50kg freestyle category final has been announced.
Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzmán Lopez will step into face American wrestler Sarah Hildebrandt in Wednesday’s final, wrestling’s international governing body – United World Wrestling – said on social media.
Phogat, the first Indian woman to qualify for an Olympic wrestling final, did not make the weight required to compete on Wednesday morning, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said.
“Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning,” the IOA said in a statement posted to X.
Competition rules say wrestlers must stay in their weight category on both days of the tournament. After Phogat’s disqualification, only the gold and bronze medals will be awarded in this event.
The Indian Olympic Association has lodged “a strong protest against the international wrestling federation” following the decision to disqualify Vinesh Phogat, the country’s sport minister said on Wednesday.
