Tokyo 2020: Vinesh Phogat buries ghosts of Rio Games, star wrestler equipped for 2nd Olympics look

Not simply Vinesh Phogat however a whole nation was heartbroken when the younger wrestler was mendacity on the mat, holding her legs in excruciating ache throughout her quarter-final match towards Sun Yan of China at Rio Olympics. Vinesh needed to be stretched off the mat as her maiden Olympics marketing campaign led to heartbreak after a superb begin within the Round of 16.

5 years later, Vinesh is heading to her 2nd Olympic look because the No. 1-ranked wrestler within the ladies’s 53kg class, a weight class she moved to after returning to motion once more following a career-threatening anterior cruciate ligament tear in her knee on the Rio Olympics.Tokyo Olympics: Full Coverage | India @ Olympics full scheduleVinesh Phogat, who has acquired the highest billing in Tokyo, has been in superb kind, successful the Asian Championships gold medal earlier this yr within the 53kg class. She had received her maiden world championships medal in 2019 — a bronze within the Olympic weight class whereas gold medals in Asian Games and Commonwealth Games in 2018 got here within the 50kg class.Loads is anticipated of Vinesh on the Tokyo Games and the wrestler seemed again at what has been a ‘rollercoaster’ experience over the past 5 years as she heads to the Olympic Village for the largest check of her fledging profession.Vinesh Phogat is 26 however the expertise of getting gone by a lot within the nascent phases of her profession will maintain her in good stead when she steps on the mat in Tokyo. Her partnership with Woller Akos of Hungary and their work on enhance her upper-body energy has led to the fitting outcomes. Speaking to this publication after she received her world championship medal, Vinesh had set clear objectives — compete on the mat for full 6 minutes and ensure she provides herself a chance to win bouts. Vinesh Phogat suffered a heartbreaking harm on the Rio Games (Reuters Photo)The star wrestler has head into the Tokyo Games with confidence-boosting victories underneath her belt. In truth, she has received all of the tournaments she was a part of in 2021. She received the Poland Open gold medal in June earlier than which she had completed on the highest step of the rostrum on the Matteo Pellicone occasion in April and the Asian Championships in March.However, the problem on the Games will not be going to be simple. The 53kg freestyle class is likely one of the hard-fought divisions on the Olympics and regardless of her prime billing, Vinesh is aware of she shall be in for a tricky check. Her greatest rival on the Games could be native favorite and two-time world champion Mayu Mukaida towards whom she hasn’t received a single bout in 3 conferences.Nonetheless, Vinesh has made all the fitting noises within the lead as much as the Games. Along with Bajrang Punia, Vinesh is likely one of the greatest medal hopes.Days forward of the Tokyo Games, Vinesh recalled the ‘lowest level of her profession’ — the Rio Games harm however pressured that she was by no means going to surrender. It has certainly been a roller-coaster experience for the younger wrestler, who has one other shot at creating historical past.”The journey to Tokyo has been long, bittersweet and difficult at times, but ultimately hugely satisfying,” Vinesh had mentioned in a heartfelt social media put up earlier this month.”Casting my mind back five years, I wasn’t even sure whether I would be able to get on the mat again. The injury in Rio was easily one of the lowest moments in my career, and even had me questioning whether I would ever able to wrestle again. Giving up though is something that has luckily never crossed my mind. Yes, I had doubts about whether my body would heal and allow me to get on the mat, but I was absolutely sure that I was never going to spare any efforts towards rebuilding myself and let my body decide,” she added.Vinesh has dealt with the large moments nicely in her comeback chapter and is a stronger and extra skilled athlete now. Can she flip the heartbreak of 2016 to glory in 2021?Vinesh shall be in motion on the mat on the Tokyo Olympics from August 5. The Round of 16 and the quarters and semi-finals shall be held on the identical day whereas the repechage rounds and the medal matches for the ladies’s 53kg freestyle occasion shall be performed on Auugst 6.