A long, slow walk from , the Olympic wrestling venue, will lead to a group of female statues in the heart of the , Paris's most popular park. They are called the (the 'Queens of France and famous women') and feature saints, regents and warriors. There's Anne of Austria, Margaret of Anjou and Louise of Savoy; Joan of Arc was there too before they moved her into the Louvre.
Now they should really make room for Vinesh of India. | | If Paris 2024 must find an exemplar in its push for gender parity, respect and inclusion they need look no further than this fighter of fire, ice and unshakeable belief. It is what has brought Vinesh Phogat into the gold medal round at the Paris Olympics.
She reminded everyone in India - those who tried to crush her, those who believed in her - that no matter what colour the medal, she will not go quietly. Not now, not ever. The Olympics was always meant to be the stage for this most gifted wrestler from the Phogat family but it had so far been an unforgiving odyssey.
We had seen many Vineshs - stretchered off weeping in pain and grief from Rio 2016, the ACL shredded in her left knee. Distraught after being pinned in the Tokyo 2021 quarter-final. The after-effects of a 2017 concussion and Covid leaving her way off her physical best, without a physio, struggling to handle the weight cut, beaten in body, heart and mind, contemplating quitting the sport.
In Paris, we saw a different Vinesh. She was not like the woman we had seen over the last 18 months o.