.jpg?width=1200)
In a massive setback for India's wrestling medal aspirations, Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the 50 kg women's wrestling event on Wednesday. She was set to compete against the United States' Sarah Ann Hildebrandt in the Gold Medal match. The Indian Olympic contingent issued a statement revealing that Phogat had exceeded the 50 kg weight limit, leading to her disqualification.
The statement expressed regret over Phogat's disqualification, noting that despite the team's best efforts throughout the night, she weighed in slightly over the 50 kg mark. The Indian contingent requested privacy for Phogat and emphasized their focus on the ongoing competitions.
Phogat's Performance At Paris Olympics
Phogat had advanced to the Gold Medal bout after defeating Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals on Tuesday night. Her disqualification is the latest in a series of near-misses for Indian athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which has seen several competitors narrowly miss out on medals.
India's performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics has been marked by a string of close calls, with athletes like Lakshya Sen, Arjun Babuta, Dhiraj Bommadevara, Ankita Bhakat, Manu Bhaker and now Vinesh Phogat coming real close to securing medals but ultimately falling short.
Here are 5 recent heartbreaks that we suffered just close to securing a medal:
1. Manu Bhaker – Women's 25m Pistol
Manu Bhaker fell short of securing a medal in the women's 25m air pistol shooting final. Despite being among the top three for much of the competition, a series of poor shots near the end caused her to drop to fourth place after a shoot-off against Hungary's Veronika Major. Bhaker missed two targets in the decisive shoot-off, while Major missed only one.
2. Lakshya Sen – Men's Singles Badminton
Lakshya Sen came close to becoming the first male shuttler from India to win an Olympic medal, but his run ended following losses to Denmark’s Victor Axelsen in the semi-final and Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia in the bronze-medal match. Sen took the opening game 21-19 before conceding nine points in a row, a setback from which he never recovered.
3. Arjun Babuta – Men's 10m Air Rifle Shooting
Arjun Babuta came close to a podium finish in the men's 10m air rifle final, securing fourth place with a score of 208.4. Croatia's Miran Maricic edged him out for the bronze with a score of 209.8, leaving Babuta just 1.4 points shy of a medal.
4. Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat – Mixed Team Archery
Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat achieved a historic fourth-place finish in the mixed-team archery event. They faced the USA's Brady Ellison and Casey Kaufhold in the bronze medal match but lost 6-2. This marked India's best result in Olympic archery, with Bommadevara and Bhakat becoming the first Indian archers to reach the semi-finals in the Olympics.
5. Anantjeet Singh and Maheshwari Chauhan – Mixed Skeet
In the skeet mixed team event, Maheshwari Chauhan and Anant Jeet Singh Naruka narrowly missed a bronze medal. They qualified for the bronze medal match with a strong performance in the qualification round, scoring 146 out of 150. However, they fell short 43-44 against China, finishing in fourth place overall.
