Vinesh Phogat made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the final of the Olympic Games. Competing in the 50kg category, she secured a convincing 5-0 victory over Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semifinals on Tuesday. With this win, Vinesh guaranteed herself at least a silver medal.
In the final, Vinesh will face American Sarah Hildebrandt, who defeated Mongolia's Otgonjargal Dolgorjav 5-0 in the other semifinal. The final match is scheduled for Wednesday.
The semifinal bout between Vinesh and Lopez started cautiously, with both wrestlers being careful. Vinesh scored the first point when Lopez was penalized for passivity, giving her a technical point. She dominated the second period, adding four more points to secure her victory.
Earlier in the competition, Vinesh stunned four-time world champion Yui Susaki of Japan with a late takedown, winning 3-2 in their opening match. Susaki, the top seed in Paris and gold medalist at the Tokyo Games, had been undefeated and had not conceded a point in the Tokyo Olympics. In the quarterfinals, Vinesh won a hard-fought match against Ukraine's Oksana Livach, 7-5.
Vinesh's journey in the Olympics has been marked by setbacks. She faced a heartbreaking exit in the quarterfinals of both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 editions. In 2016, she suffered a severe knee injury that ended her campaign prematurely.
With Vinesh reaching the final, Susaki now has a chance to compete for a bronze medal through the repechage round. She will face Livach on Wednesday, offering her another shot at a medal.
