Top five career achievements of Vinesh Phogat

Vinesh Phogat has broken barriers and has been a vocal activist for athletes throughout her career.

Vinesh Phogat has announced her retirement from wrestling after a controversial disqualification during Paris Olympics 2024. The 29-year-old had reached all the way to the gold medal match in the 50 kg women’s freestyle event but was disqualified on the day of the final match after weighing 100 gms overweight on Wednesday morning, August 7.

Phogat was heartbreaken as her chance of a silver or a gold medal was taken away. The day after her gutting elimination from the Olympics, the experienced wrestler announced that she was retiring from the sport.

The 29-year-old comes from a family of wrestlers and has been wrestling since she was a little child. She has enjoyed a decade-long wrestling career and proven herself as a brilliant athlete, winning many major accolades throughout. Here we look at the top five achievement in the career of Vinesh Phogat.

5. Winning gold at 2018 Asian Games

Vinesh Phogat started proving her quality in the 50 KG category from the 2018 season and her major breakthrough was during the Jakarta Asian Games. Phogat entered the competition with decent momentum behind her and shwoed her quality by ousting Chinese wrestler and 2016 Olympics bronze medallist Sun Yanan (8-2) in the first match.

Also Read: Vinesh Phogat announces retirement from wrestling: ‘I don’t have strength, wrestling won, I lost’

In the quarter-finals, she totally dominated South Korean Kim Hyung-joo (11-0) before ousting Uzbekistan wrestler Dauletbike Yakhshimuratova (10-0) to book a place in the gold medal match.

In the final, Vinesh Phogat completed her goldeb run by defeating Japanese wrestler Yuki Irie (6-2) to claim the Asian Games gold medal. It was getting redemption for Phogat after getting the bronze medal in the 2014 Asian Games in the 48 kg category.

4. Being nominated for Laureus World Sports awards

The Haryana-born wrestler has been a source of inspiration for many up-and-coming wrestlers in India and that is because of her impressive resolve to come back from adversity. In 2019, Vinesh Phogat was nominated for the Laureus Foundation for her ability to come back from injury and regain success at the highest level.

She was nominated for the 2019 Laureus Comeback of the Year award for having recovered from a nasty knee injury sustained at the 2016 Olympics and then coming back to win major accolades in the 2017 Asian Championship as well as the 2018 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

She ultimately lost it to iconic Golfer Tiger Woods, but she became the first Indian sportsperson to be nominated for a category at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.

3. Winning three Commonwealth golds in different weight divisions

Vinesh Phogat has definitely set the bar high for Indian wrestlers in terms of enjoying success across different weight categories. In this aspect, her dominance over multiple Commonwealth Games editions is the best example of her brilliance. In the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Phogat won the gold medal while competing in the 48 kg category.

In 2018, feeling at her best in the 50 kg category, she bagged the gold medal. Then in 2022, Phogat was able to do the trifecta of gold medal in three consecutive Commonwealth Games. In the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, she competed in the 53 kg category and comfortbaly won the gold medal. Phogat’s career records will be tough to replicate.

2. Breaking Yui Sasaki’s record at Paris Olympics 2024

Vinesh Phogat had to really fight her way to qualifying for the 50 kg category at Paris Olympics 2024. After competing in the previous editions in different weight categories, the Indian wrestler’s intent was on leaving a mark in the 50 kg division. But in the first match itself, Phogat was seeded to face Japanese wrestler Yui Sasaki, who had won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in same category.

What was even more intimidating was that Sasaki was undefeated in 94 matches against non-Japanese wrestlers. Vinesh Phogat showcased incredible willpower and resolve in the bout, not allowing the Japanese to dominate her. Then in the dying moments of the match, she picked up three points to get a thrilling 3-2 win and move onto the quarter-finals.

1. Reaching the final at Paris Olympics 2024

Vinesh Phogat was having a historic outing at the Paris Olympics 2024, irrespective of the bitter manner in which it ended. She exceeded expectations by pulling off a brilliant underdog story in defeating Sasaki in the pre-quarter final game, producing an amazing last-minute win. In the quarter-finals, Phogat found tough competition from Ukrainian Oksana Livach.

In what was a back-and-forth bout, the Indian ace had the final laugh as she managed to pip her counterpart to get a brilliant 7-5 win. She then faced Cuban wrestler Yusneylys Guzman (2023 Pan American Games gold medal winner) in the semi-final and again momentum pulled her through as Phogat managed to seal a brilliant win by a 5-0 margin.

Unfortunately, on the day she was supposed to fight for the gold medal against Sarah Hildebrandt, Vinesh Phogat weighed 100 gms over the 50 kg weight limit and was disqualified. Her wrestling career came to an end after three amazing wins at Paris Olympics 2024.

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