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Sarah Hilderbrandt won the gold medal at the Women’s 50 kg freestyle event at Paris Olympics 2024. Sarah described her emotions on the day of the final event after her opponent Vinesh Phogat was found overweight. Sarah was originally slated to meet India’s Vinesh Phogat in the gold medal match but she was disqualified after she was found to weigh 100g more than the weight limit for the women's 50kg final. She then had to face Cuba's Yusneylys Guzman, who lost to Phogat in the semi-finals. Hilderbrandt won 3-0 to win the gold ultimately. She secured a bronze in Tokyo three years ago.
"My mind and body are not computing everything, especially with the chaotic morning I had with the change of opponent. It was very strange, like Oh my god, I just won the Olympics she said of the assumption she had prevailed by forfeit. So there had to be a reset. I took a nap, woke up, and it was like a fever dream." Hildebrandt said at the mixed zone
Phogat’s Saga
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Vinesh Phogat sailed to the finals of the event despite a tough draw, she defeated the reigning champion Yui Susaki handing her first loss in the international arena. She then defeated Ukraine’s Oksana Livach in the quarterfinals and later won against Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez continuing her dream run. Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the women's 50kg wrestling final at the Paris Olympics as she was found ineligible to compete on the second day because of being 100 grams overweight during the weigh-in on the day of the final.
Sarah empathizing with Vinesh said – “As a big weight cutter myself, yeah, I feel for her. She had an amazing day yesterday, did an insane feat and, you know, I don’t think she saw that happening, ending her Olympics like that. So, for sure, my heart goes out to her. I think she’s an amazing competitor, an amazing wrestler, and a person”
On Thursday morning Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling following her disqualification from the Paris Olympics.
"Mother, wrestling won against me, I lost, sorry, your dream, my courage is all broken, I don't have any more strength than this now. Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all sorry," wrote Vinesh in an emotional post from her official ‘X’ account.
She had appealed against her elimination with CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sports) after getting disqualified from the Paris Olympics 2024. She demanded a joint-silver medal
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