Wrestler Vinesh Phogat of India was set to compete for a gold medal at the Paris Olympics when she was disqualified for weighing about 3 ounces more than the limit. In a story relatable to anyone who’s ever been frustrated by their daily weight fluctuations, Phogat, 29, “tried all possible drastic measures” to lower the number on the scale, including severely limiting her diet, spending hours in the sauna and even cutting her hair, . To no avail.
Phogat competes in the 50-kilogram (110-pound) , meaning she can’t weigh more. She reached the final for that weight category on Tuesday, Aug. 6 — the first Indian woman wrestler .
But on Wednesday, Aug. 7, the day she was to compete for the gold medal, the revealed she was just over the limit. “Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning,” the Indian Olympic Association .
Phogat was 100 grams, or 3.5 ounces, overweight and she was disqualified, according to . That's about the weight of a small apple.
The woman she beat in the semifinals, Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, replaced her in the gold medal match. She went on to lose to American wrestler . Afterwards, Phogat had to be treated for dehydration at the Olympic Village clinic because she had restricted her food and drink so severely to reduce her weight, .
She also announced her retirement from the sport. “I don’t have the strength to go on anymore. Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024.
I will forever be indebted to all of you. Please forgive me,” Vinesh posted on X. On Friday, Aug.
9, the Court of Arbitration for Sport the wrestler is asking to be awarded a shared silver medal. A judge is expected to issue a decision before the end of the Olympic Games, the statement noted. Daily weight fluctuations of 2 to 3 pounds either up or down are normal, according to the .
They can be caused by everything from hormones, stress, constipation and water retention, to such as changing jobs or going through a breakup. Even the day of the week can make a difference. Weight increases on the weekends as people often eat and drink more on their days off, then decreases again during the week, have found.
But drastic unexplained weight changes should be discussed with your doctor. Sudden weight loss when you’re not trying to shed pounds, for example, can be a symptom of illness. A.
Pawlowski is a TODAY health reporter focusing on health news and features. Previously, she was a writer, producer and editor at CNN..
