Japanese wrestler Rei Higuchi who beat Aman Sehrawat in the 57kg freestyle category and went on to win a gold medal at Paris Olympics on August 9 urged Vinesh Phogat to take back her retirement. Vinesh was found overweight by just 100 grams on the day of her gold medal bout and was disqualified from the event. Higuchi recalled when he was disqualified from Tokyo Olympics qualification for being just 50 grams overweight. Higuchi extended his support and backed Phogat to come back stronger.
“I understand your pain the best. same 50g. Don’t worry about the voices around you. Life goes on. Rising from setbacks is the most beautiful thing. Take a good rest,” Higuchi wrote in reply to Vinesh’s post announcing her retirement from the game on August 8.
An emotional Vinesh on August 8 had thanked everyone who supported her and announced her retirement. Earlier, she became the first Indian woman wrestler to qualify for the final in Olympic history.
“Mom, wrestling has defeated me, I lost. Forgive me, your dream, my courage is all broken, I don’t have any more strength now.”
“Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. I’ll be forever indebted to everyone. Apologies,” the 29-year-old concluded.
Earlier, in the semifinal bout, Higuchi registered a dominant 10-0 win over Aman Sehrawat to reach the gold medal round. In the final, he got the better of USA’s Spencer Lee 4-2 to win his first ever Olympic gold medal. Before he was ruled out of Tokyo Olympics qualification, he bagged a silver medal at the Rio Olympics.
Sehrawat’s record-breaking bronze
On the other hand, Sehrawat advanced to the repechage round and won the bronze medal by beating by beating Puerto Rico's Rican Darian Toi Cruz on the basis of technical superiority (10-0). The 21-year-old became the youngest Indian to win an Olympic medal breaking PV Sindhu’s record which she created in Rio Olympics with a silver medal.
After winning India’s sixth medal at the event, it was revealed that Sehrawat lost 4.6 kg to be 100 grams below the weight he is supposed to be on the morning of his bronze medal match.
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