Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat advanced to the final of the women's 50 kg freestyle category at the Paris Olympics, securing a victory in the semifinal against Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez on Tuesday. Phogat, who is also a key figure in the Indian wrestlers' protest against politician Brij Bhushan Singh concerning alleged sexual harassment, dominated Lopez with a 5-0 score. Earlier, Phogat reached the semifinals by defeating Ukraine's Oksana Livach 7-5 in the quarterfinals. In the QFs, Vinesh led 2-0 in the first period, but Livach fought back in the second period. However, Phogat, a medalist at the World Championships, managed to overcome the Ukrainian's challenge and secured a spot in the semifinals.
Phogat kicked off her Paris Olympics campaign impressively by defeating the top seed and Tokyo 2020 champion, Yui Susaki of Japan, in the women's 50kg freestyle round of 16. Susaki was ahead 1-0 at the end of the first period, but Phogat staged a remarkable comeback in the second period, outperforming her Japanese rival significantly to win 3-2 and advance to the QFs. Yui is not only the defending champion but also a three-time world champion in the 50 kg freestyle category and the current Asian champion.
Phogat's uncle, Mahavir Phogat, a renowned Indian wrestler, expressed confidence that his niece will win the gold medal for India on Wednesday. He stated, "The country had great expectations from her during the 2016 and 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But this time, I am very confident that Vinesh will fulfil my dream of a gold medal. She defeated a top Japanese wrestler in the first round." Mahavir added, "I focused on the match against the Japanese wrestler, who did a lot of leg attacks. I had told her to fight defensively in the first round and she did that. In the next round, she showcased her talent and power."
Meanwhile, Indian superstar Neeraj Chopra excelled in qualifying for the final in the men's javelin throw at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. The Tokyo Games gold medalist achieved a season's best throw of 89.34m in his first attempt in Group B, securing his place in the final. The 26-year-old Chopra, who also won the World Championship title last year, aims to become the fifth man in history to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in men's javelin throw. Germany's Julian Weber, a top contender for the gold medal, recorded the best throw (87.76) from Group A in the qualification round. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, a gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games and a silver medalist at the World Championships, demonstrated his strength with an impressive throw of 86.59. The Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch, another top contender, managed a throw of 85.63.
