It’s rarely an even playing field for all athletes. More often than not, the existing conditions in their countries can pose bigger challenges for the stars compared to their colleagues from other nations. That’s exactly what makes Vinesh Phogat’s latest triumphs at the 2024 Paris Olympics all the more emphatic. The wrestling star from India just beat the reigning Olympic gold medalist Yui Susaki in the Round of 16, despite being ranked much lower than the Japanese. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg of Phogat’s journey.

The 29-year-old is a two-time World Championships medalist, but her feats at the 33rd Olympics are nothing like she’s ever achieved before. And yet, as she stands on the verge of creating history for her country, let’s take a look at all the towering hurdles she had to jump over to get here.

Vinesh Phogat’s mythical journey to the biggest win of her career

In 2023, turmoils between wrestlers and the Wrestling Federation of India stormed the country and Phogat was one of the most prominent faces of the protests. According to an article by the Economic Times of India, Phogat spent 40 days on the pavements of the national capital. Allegations of sexual misconduct against the newly appointed WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh rocked the entire country and wrestlers like Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia were at the forefront of leading the agitation.

However, the athletes’ grievances were met with hostility from the authorities. Despite the strict stance taken against them, Phogat remained steadfast at the forefront of the issue. The fiasco has yet to reach a conclusion, and Vinesh had to push past these lingering concerns as she qualified for the Paris Games.

Phogat pulled off one of the most unprecedented upsets of the ongoing Olympics by defeating her more experienced Japanese opponent. Trailing 2-0, Phogat executed a successful takedown with only nine seconds remaining to secure a 3-2 victory. After defeating Yui, Vinesh went on to beat Ukraine’s Oksana Livach 7-5, earning her spot in the women’s 50kg semifinals. Her dominance at the Games has been so incredible that Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs also took to social media to hail her impressive victories. With that, Phogat now stands on the verge of dampening the mood of wrestling fans in the USA.

Phogat can end Sarah Hildebrandt’s sensational run

Vinesh competes in the same weight bracket as 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Sarah Hildebrandt, who is on a quest for her maiden gold on the grand stage. At April’s US Olympic Team Trials, Hildebrandt defeated Audrey Jimenez in two straight sets to secure her spot in the French capital. The four-time World Championships medalist is regarded as one of the top female wrestlers from the United States and is a favorite to win gold in the 50kg weight class in the City of Love.

Sarah beat China’s Feng Ziqi 7-4 in the quarterfinals and will now face Mongolia’s Dolgorjavyn Otgonjargal in the semifinals. The seven-time Pan American Championships gold medalist is expected to advance to the finals, and it remains to be seen if she will meet Phogat there. If they do face each other, who do you think will prevail as the better wrestler? Share your predictions in the comments.