Vinesh Phogat battle against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been widely publicized, the wrestler has faced numerous personal challenges on her arduous journey to an Olympic medal at Paris 2024.
Today, Vinesh Phogat competes in the final of the 50kg weight class, with only USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt standing in her way of becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
Regardless of the outcome, Vinesh Phogat’s performance at Paris 2024 will be the best by an Indian athlete at these Games, where the Indian contingent has so far secured only three bronze medals.
Vinesh has already made significant history as the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold medals at both the Asian and Commonwealth Games.
Vinesh Phogat’s Journey to Paris 2024 Medal
While much attention has been given to her fight against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Vinesh Phogat has faced numerous personal hurdles on her journey to an Olympic medal.
Traumatic Olympic Debut at Rio 2016
Vinesh Phogat’s Olympic journey began with heartbreak. Favored to win a medal at Rio 2016, she started strong with a technical superiority win, scoring 11-0. However, during her quarterfinal match against China’s Sun Yanan, she suffered a severe injury when her opponent unintentionally fell on her leg. Vinesh was carried off the mat on a stretcher, having torn the ACL in her right knee. After surgery and five months of rehabilitation, she made a competitive comeback in 2018.
Heartbreak at Tokyo 2021
Entering the Tokyo Olympics as the top seed in the women’s 53kg category, Vinesh started with a victory over Sweden’s Sofia Mattsson in the round of 16. However, she was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Belarus’ Vanesa Kaladzinskaya. Following this defeat, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) initiated disciplinary action against her, though her suspension was later revoked.
Twin Elbow Surgeries
During the national trials for the 2021 World Championships, Vinesh Phogat had to withdraw due to an elbow injury, leading to surgery. She posted on social media after the surgery: “Elbow surgery done! No matter how many times I fall, I will still rise.” She returned to win a bronze at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships and a gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. However, she underwent another elbow surgery in June 2023.
Second Knee Surgery
Preparing for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, Vinesh suffered a knee injury in August, resulting in a complete tear of the ACL and a partial tear of the lateral collateral ligament in her left leg. She announced, “Doctor said that unfortunately, surgery is the only option for me to recover… It was my dream to retain my Asian Games gold medal for India which I won in 2018 at Jakarta. But unfortunately, this injury has ruled out my participation now.”