Heartbreak In Paris: What UWW Rules Say On Vinesh Phogat's Disqualification

In a shocking turn of events at the Paris Olympics, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from her gold medal bout in the women's 50 kg category after failing her second weigh-in on Wednesday. The disqualification ended her gold medal aspirations and highlighted the rigorous weight restrictions that are in place at the Olympics. Vinesh faced challenges with weight cutting and was racing against time to ensure that she met the stringent 50 kg limit. But she ultimately missed the mark by just over 100 gm, sources said.

As per the sources, after Tuesday's bouts, Vinesh worked out the entire night to meet the weight criteria on Wednesday morning. She was seen skipping, cycling, stretching, and doing other exercises.

Weigh-ins at the Olympics are notably strict compared to other international competitions. Wrestlers must weigh in on the morning of the competition day, and if they advance to the final or repechage round, they must weigh in again on the second day.

The first weigh-in gives 30 minutes to the wrestlers to make the weight, but the second weigh-in, which lasts only 15 minutes, has no margin for error. Unlike other United World Wrestling (UWW) events where a 2 kg weight tolerance is allowed, the Olympics permit no such leniency.

As per Article 11 of the UWW rulebook, an athlete who fails to make the weight is eliminated from the competition and ranked last, stripping them of any achievements during the event. This harsh reality hit Vinesh hard, nullifying her victories en route final.

Here's what the rules say:

If changes are made in the final entries compared to the entries in Athena (ONLY after exceptional circumstances like an injury -- confirmed by a medical certificate), the updated athletes' entry