On the night of August 6, you could hear every home in India cheer at 11:30 as Vinesh Phogat tore her way to the final of the 50 kg wrestling at the Paris Olympics 2024 finals. The internet was flooded with congratulatory messages, stories about her injuries, her fight against ex-wrestling chief Brij Bhushan, and her determination to become the first Indian wrestler to enter the Olympic finals.From then on, what transpired was something no one could have anticipated.

On the day she was expected to create history for India, Vinesh was disqualified to be being overweight. She was weighed in at 50.1 kilos, 100 gm over her weight category. A cruel ending to what could have been India's biggest story in the history of Olympics. Countless measures were taken but to no avoid. As fate would have it, Vinesh's dreams were crushed and with it, the entire nation's. And if that wasn't heartbreaking enough, India woke up to an even more devastating news Thursday morning – of Vinesh's retirement. How did India's daughter go from being a medal contender to now being an ex-wrestler?

Here is the entire series of events that turned Vinesh's life and career upside down. All timings in IST.

August 6, 11:30 pm: Phogat defeats Cuba's Yusneylys Guzman Lopez in the 50 kg semi-final bout to advance to the finals against USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt. She speaks with her mother via a video call booth installed at the arena and promises to bring home the gold medal: "Gold Lana hai, gold."

August 7 after midnight till the morning: Reportedly, Phogat was 2kg overweight after the semi-final and quickly rushed to exercise with her coach, Woller Akos. India's chief medical officer, Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, works with the IOA overnight to get Vinesh's weight back to 50kg. She barely gets any sleep, water, or food.

August 7, the morning of the final: Phogat trims her hair before the official weigh-in, but her weight is still above 50 kg. In the second attempt, she is 100 gm overweight and is immediately disqualified as per competition regulations.

August 7, 12:23 PM: The Indian Olympic Association put out a statement expressing regret over Vinesh's disqualification: "It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from the Women's Wrestling 50kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning. No further comments will be made by the contingent at this time. The Indian team requests that you respect Vinesh's privacy. It would like to focus on the competitions on hand: Indian Olympic Association."

August 7, 12:49 PM: PM Narendra expresses his views on Vinesh's disqualification and takes to X to console her: "Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India's pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian. Today's setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing. At the same time, I know that you epitomize resilience. It has always been your nature to take challenges head-on. Come back stronger! We are all rooting for you."

August 7 afternoon: Reports emerge that Vinesh is hospitalised due to dehydration and the severe physicalties she had to endure the night before to cut down her weight.

August 7 afternoon: Requests from the Indian management team are rejected and the Wrestling Federation of India appeals to United World Wrestling but to no avail. Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with IOA chief PT Usha to attempt to find a way. In the meantime, Phogat is hospitalized at the Olympic clinic as dehydration starts to creep in, and the extreme measures for weight reduction take a toll on her health.

August 7, 1:20 PM: Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who was defeated by Vinesh Phogat in the semifinals, replaces the disqualified Indian in the 50kg category final against the USA's Sarah Ann Hildebrandt.

August 7, 3:30 PM: Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in the Lok Sabha says that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has filed a strong plea on Phogat's disqualification.

Aug 7, around 5 PM: Amid the uproar over Vinesh's unfortunate disqualification, a new photo emerges showing Phogat with Indian Olympic Association chief PT Usha. In the image, Phogat appears teary-eyed as Usha tries to console her. "We are providing Vinesh with all medical and emotional support. The Wrestling Federation Of India has filed an appeal to UWW to consider the decision to disqualify Vinesh and it is following this up in the strongest possible manner. I am aware of the relentless effort made by Vinesh's medical team throughout the night so that she could meet the competition requirements,” Usha said in a video interview.

August 7:10 PM: "It's part of the game," Phogat tells Indian coaches Virender Dahiya and Manjeet Rani. "It sent a shockwave through the wrestling contingent. The girls were feeling pretty low after the news broke. We met Vinesh and tried to console her. She was brave. She told us, 'It's hard luck that we missed the medal, but it is part of the game'," Dahiya said.

August 7, 11 PM: By the end of the day, Phogat appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sports to award her a joint silver medal. The final between Hildebrandt and Lopez takes place, and the former takes the gold while the latter wins the silver. The official statement is expected by Thursday afternoon.

August 8, 5:17 AM: Vinesh Phogat, dejected, quits wrestling via X. "Ma kushti mere se jeet gayi, main har gayi (Mother, wrestling defeated me, and I have lost)," she said on X. Forgive me, your dream and my courage are all broken. I don't have any more strength now. Goodbye, Wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all for your forgiveness."

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