Vinesh Phogat Reverses Retirement for 2028 Olympics

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, a trailblazing athlete who reached the gold medal bout at the Paris Olympics last year, announced on Friday that she is reversing her retirement and will compete for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The 30-year-old shared the decision in a reflective post on X, marking her return to the mat after a 16-month hiatus that included a foray into politics.

Phogat's announcement comes after she stepped away from wrestling following a disqualification that ended her Paris campaign in heartbreak. On August 7, 2024, she became the first Indian woman to advance to an Olympic wrestling final in the 50-kilogram freestyle category, defeating Japan's four-time world champion Yui Susaki in the semifinals. However, she was disqualified the next morning for weighing 100 grams over the limit during the final weigh-in. United World Wrestling rules stripped her of all results from the tournament, denying her even the silver medal despite her semifinal victory. Phogat appealed the decision, seeking at least the silver, but her plea was rejected, leaving her without hardware after a dominant performance.

In the weeks that followed, Phogat announced her retirement, citing the...