Vinesh Phogat Reconsiders Retirement After Paris Heartbreak, Sets Sights on 2028 LA Olympics

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Friday, December 12, announced her return to professional wrestling, confirming that she has reversed her retirement to once again pursue her Olympic dream.

The 31-year-old had stepped away from the sport after the Paris Olympics controversy, where she was dramatically disqualified on the morning of the gold-medal bout for being 100 grams over the weight limit — despite having reached the final.

Vinesh had been poised to become the first Indian woman to compete in an Olympic wrestling final, but the disqualification shattered her campaign and left the nation stunned. In an emotional Instagram post, Vinesh revealed that her 18-month break from the mat had been a period of deep introspection.

“People kept asking if Paris was the end. For a long time, I didn’t have the answer,” she wrote. “I needed to step away — from the pressure, expectations, even my own ambitions. Somewhere in the silence, I realised the fire never left. I still love this sport. I still want to compete.”

Vinesh said the time away helped her reconnect with her identity beyond wrestling, especially after a turbulent few years marked by Olympic heartbreaks. She also contested and won the Julana seat in the Haryana Assembly elections last year by a margin of 6,000 votes.

A major chapter in her personal life also unfolded during the break. Vinesh and her husband, wrestler Somvir Rathee, welcomed their baby boy in July 2025. She said her son is now her “biggest motivation” on the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Vinesh’s Olympic journey has been riddled with misfortune. At her debut in Rio 2016, a knee injury forced her to withdraw from the quarterfinals. At Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021), she entered as the world No. 1 but suffered a shock quarterfinal exit. Paris 2024 seemed poised to rewrite her narrative: she defeated defending champion Yui Susaki, former European champion Oksana Livach, and Pan American champion Yusneylis Guzman to storm into the 50kg final.

But the weight-miss on the decisive morning caused an uproar in the global wrestling community. Questions were raised about the handling of her weight-cut process and last-minute protocols. Vinesh appealed the disqualification to United World Wrestling, and later to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, alleging procedural lapses. Both appeals were ultimately rejected.

The heartbreak led her to announce retirement shortly after the Games, calling it the lowest moment of her career. Her case triggered a nationwide debate on athlete support systems and accountability in Indian wrestling administration.

Now, with renewed determination and a symbolic fresh start, Vinesh has confirmed she will return to training with her sights set firmly on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics — a comeback she describes as driven by “a spirit that refuses to bow.”