Vinesh
Vinesh Phogat (pronounced [ʋɪˈneːʃ ˈpʰoːɡɑːʈ]; born 25 August 1994) is a Indian professional freestyle wrestler. She is a multiple Commonwealth Games gold medalist, having won golds at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 Games. She became the first Indian woman wrestler to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth and Asian Games after she won the gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games. She has also won two bronze medals at the World Wrestling Championships.
She is a three-time Olympian, having competed in three different weight classes: 48 kg in 2016, 53 kg in 2020, and 50 kg in 2024. In the 2024 Summer Olympics, she became the first international wrestler to defeat the then-reigning Olympic champion Yui Susaki, on the way to becoming the first Indian female wrestler to reach an Olympic final. However, she was disqualified after exceeding the stipulated weight by just 100grams (3.52oz) on the second day of her event. After her disqualification, she announced her retirement from the sport with immediate effect.
Phogat was nominated for the Laureus World Sports Awards in 2019 and was the first Indian to get a nomination for the award. In 2023, she was part of the 2023 Indian wrestlers' protest against then president of Indian Wrestling Federation and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexual harassment by several female wrestlers.
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