Vinesh Phogat, First Indian Woman to Compete for Olympic Gold, Advances to 50kg Women's Wrestling Final

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat became the first woman from the country to compete for Olympic gold in wrestling when she qualified for the women's 50kg freestyle category final at the Paris Olympics 2024.

A string of remarkable triumphs led Phogat to the final, beginning with an unexpected 3-2 triumph over world No. 1 and defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan. This surprising triumph put a stop to Susaki's 83-match winning streak and laid the groundwork for Phogat's incredible run.

After winning the first round, Phogat kept winning, defeating Ukrainian champion Oksana Livach in the quarterfinals. After that, she guaranteed her berth in the championship match by defeating Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba 5-0 in the quarterfinals.

Phogat has had several difficulties since the Olympics in Tokyo. She was embroiled in a contentious disagreement with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) following a depressing quarterfinal loss in 2021, which prompted her to contemplate quitting the sport.

But Phogat's purpose goes beyond individual atonement. Phogat's motivation, according to fellow Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia, stems from his desire to improve the wrestling community for the next competitors. Punia cited Phogat as stating, "I am fighting for the future generation of wrestlers," during an interview with ESPN. Not for me personally; I'm done with this Olympics career. In order to ensure that the young female wrestlers may wrestle in safety, I want to fight for them. That is the reason I came to Jantar Mantar and the reason I am here."