Vinesh Phogat announces retirement from wrestling a day after Paris Olympics disqualification

India's star wrestler Vinesh Phogat has announced her retirement from the sport. Her decision comes after the setback at the ongoing Paris Olympics, as she was disqualified from the competition ahead of her gold medal bout on Wednesday, August 7. The wrestler was found overweight by 100 grams.

Phogat took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce her retirement, writing:

"Wrestling has won and I have lost. My dreams and hopes are all shattered. I do not have any more energy left. Good bye wrestling 2001-2024."

This was Phogat's third appearance at the marquee quadrennial event. The Indian participated in both the 2016 Rio and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finishing in the quarterfinals on both occasions.

For the 29-year-old, her path to the Paris Olympics 2024 was laden with a multitude of challenges, including two elbow and knee surgeries. However, on the mats of the Champ-De-Mars Arena, Vinesh Phogat was a splendid force right from her first round.

She began her campaign by taking down Japan's Susaki Yu 3-2. Susaki was the gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. From there, Phogat only got better, outdoing Ukraine’s Oksana Livach 7-5 and Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman 5-0 to set up the final with America's Sarah Hildebrandt.

However, Vinesh Phogat was disqualified on the morning of the final, as she was overweight by 100 grams. This stripped her not only of her chance to win a gold medal but also of her previously assured silver.

Vinesh Phogat moves to Court of Arbitration in an attempt for silver medal

After being disqualified from the Paris Olympics and losing her chance to medal at the Games, Phogat has moved to the Court of Arbitration in a bid to receive a silver medal for her performances leading up to the gold medal bout.

"Vinesh Phogat has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against her disqualification, asking for the silver medal. CAS will give its verdict tomorrow morning,” an IOA source told ANI.

It remains to be seen whether the two-time World Championships bronze-medalist, Asian Games gold-medalist, and Commonwealth Games champion will be able to add the elusive Olympic medal to her collection as she retires from professional wrestling.