Vinesh Phogat has secured her place in the semifinals of the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling event at the Paris Olympics, defeating Ukraine’s Oksana Livach, a three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, with a score of 7-5 on Tuesday.
Phogat’s victory marks her third appearance at the Olympic Games, making her the female Indian wrestler with the most Olympic participations. This win against Livach is remarkable as it represents Livach’s first-ever international loss.
In the bout, Phogat started cautiously but fell behind 0-2 after giving away penalty points for passivity. However, she made a dramatic comeback in the final moments of the match, securing three points with a takedown and ultimately winning 3-2. This victory came after an intense struggle, where Phogat nearly lost her footing but managed to defend herself effectively.
The 29-year-old wrestler had faced challenges last year, including a protest against former Wrestling Federation of India head Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan over allegations of sexual misconduct. Despite her previous failures to medal in two prior Olympic appearances, Phogat’s performance in Paris has rejuvenated her Olympic journey.
Phogat’s family background is steeped in wrestling, with her cousins also being renowned international wrestlers and Commonwealth Games medalists.
After the match, Phogat was visibly emotional, sprinting towards her coach Woller Akos and celebrating with an exuberant war cry. Despite a challenge from the Japanese team that briefly overturned the decision, Phogat’s victory was reaffirmed, adding another point to her score and finalizing the match at 3-2 in her favour.
Phogat’s next opponent in the semifinals is set to be Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman.
