The news of Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024 has ignited a wave of reactions across social media and search engines. Phogat, who was set to compete in the women’s 50kg freestyle final, was disqualified on Wednesday after being found 100 grams overweight during the weigh-in. This unexpected turn of events led to “100 gm” trending on X (formerly Twitter), reflecting the widespread shock and disappointment.
The disqualification was confirmed by an Indian coach, stating, “She was found overweight by 100 gm this morning. The rules do not allow this and she has been disqualified. According to international regulations, any wrestler who exceeds the weight limit during weigh-in is automatically ranked at the bottom of the final standings.
The term “Vinesh Phogat” surged on Google Trends as well, with “vinesh phogat disqualified” becoming a top search query with over 50,000 searches on Wednesday. The incident also saw related terms such as “weight,” “Phogat_Vinesh,” “gold,” “disqualify,” and “Paris Olympics 2024” trending on social media.
In response to the disqualification, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to offer his support and encouragement. Modi described Phogat as a “champion among champions” and expressed his belief that she would bounce back stronger. “Vinesh, you are India’s pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian,” he wrote. He further noted, “Today’s setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing. At the same time, I know that you epitomise resilience.”
Phogat had previously achieved a significant milestone by defeating defending champion Yui Susaki of Japan, setting her up for a gold medal bout against Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States. Despite this setback, her performance throughout the competition had already marked her as a remarkable athlete.