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les ottolenghi Why Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified
India’s star Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat is out of the competition ahead of a gold medal match, after being disqualified for being over her class’s weight limit. It’s a devastating end to the... moreWhy Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified
India’s star Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat is out of the competition ahead of a gold medal match, after being disqualified for being over her class’s weight limit. It’s a devastating end to the Paris games for the wrestler who has led the charge against sexual harassment at the highest levels of her sport.
Had she been able to compete and won Wednesday’s match, she would have been the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in any Olympic event.
Phogat, who often wrestles at a 53-kilogram weight — or about 116 pounds — made the 50-kilogram (about 110 pounds) berth after another wrestler won the 53-kilogram spot on India’s wrestling team. She knew that getting down to competition weight would be difficult, she said in an April interview: “I gain weight easily. It doesn’t matter how fit I am, I still gain weight because I have a lot of muscle mass.”
She had been able to maintain the lower weight until Wednesday, when she weighed in at just 100 grams over the weight limit — despite the drastic measures she had taken over the past week to maintain her 50-kilogram weight. Phogat barely ate, spent hours in a sauna and exercised, and even tried cutting her hair to make weight, according to Team India’s chief medical officer.
But that 100 grams — around 3.5 ounces — meant she couldn’t compete in Wednesday’s match, and wouldn’t receive a medal at all despite her dominance. She put up a phenomenal performance in Paris, beating out Japanese Olympic gold medalist Yui Susaki in the first round, and dominating thereafter, seemingly guaranteeing India either a gold or silver medal.
Her wins — and sudden disqualification — have put her recent crusade against sexual harassment in India’s national wrestling organization back in the spotlight. And though her Olympics are over, there’s now global attention on her activism as much as her athletic prowess.
Sexual harassment is a problem in India — and in sports
Phogat spent months last year as the face of a campaign to remove Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh as head of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), the body governing the sport in India.
Phogat and other women wrestlers accused Singh of sexual exploitation, and Phogat in particular alleged that he emotionally and psychologically tormented her following the Tokyo Summer Games, where she just missed out on a medal. After filing a complaint with the Indian Olympic Association, and receiving little response, they mounted a May 2023 protest in New Delhi — where they were reportedly assaulted by police.
Sexual harassment is a problem everywhere, and India is no different. A 2024 Centre for Economic Data & Analysis study found workplace sexual harassment to be on the rise in India (though reporting mechanisms have increased, too), and a 2022 World Bank report found harassment on public transportation to be a nearly universal experience in big cities, with 88 percent of those surveyed in New Delhi saying they’d experienced it.
Scholars Anil Kumar and Ashutosh Pandey, both professors in the department of sociology at Bayalasi P.G. College, in Jalalpur, India, wrote in a recent study that the “prevalent perception of sexual harassment often portrays it as a joke, where women are deemed both responsible for and deserving of such behavior.”
Despite the efforts of Indian feminists, particularly from the 1970s onward, there are still high-profile cases of harassment and violence against women, as well as protests against the police and governments’ handling of the problem.
In the case of Phogat and her colleagues, New Delhi police did finally arrest Singh in June of this year on charges of “sexual harassment, intimidation and outraging the modesty of women,” according to The Hindu. He has maintained his innocence.
That Singh was removed from his post as the head of the WFI and held to account for his alleged crimes is a testament to the women’s protests; in addition to his high profile in the athletic world, Singh was also a powerful member of Parliament with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Phogat’s Olympics are at an end, but more and more Indian women are taking up sports — and excelling. And her activism is part of a wider effort in India to help women athletes speak up about sexual harassment and assault. There’s a lot more to be done in that arena: As sports fans have seen in Spain, the US, and elsewhere, the serious consequences of sexual harassment aren’t unique to India.
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les ottolenghi Paraguay’s Luana Alonso has denied reports that she was removed from the Paris Olympics Village for inappropriate behaviour.
Paraguay’s Luana Alonso has denied reports that she was removed from the Paris Olympics Village for inappropriate... moreParaguay’s Luana Alonso has denied reports that she was removed from the Paris Olympics Village for inappropriate behaviour.
Paraguay’s Luana Alonso has denied reports that she was removed from the Paris Olympics Village for inappropriate behaviour. This denial comes after several news outlets ran stories on her expulsion from the athletes’ village. The story was first published by British tabloid The Sun, quoting Larissa Schaerer, head of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee.
Paraguay’s Luana Alonso denies reports of her expulsion from the Olympics Village.(Instagram/@luanalonsom)
“Her presence is creating an inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay,” Larissa Schaerer said in a statement published by the outlet. “We thank her for proceeding as instructed, as it was of her own free will that she did not spend the night in the Athletes’ Village.”
The Sun report suggested that Luana Alonso, 20, sneaked out of the Olympic Village to visit Disneyland Paris instead of cheering for her teammates. A separate report in Daily Mail also said that she was a distraction to her teammates “with her skimpy clothing and socialising with other athletes.” It added that she was seen walking around the Village in her own clothes rather than the official Paraguayan kit provided to all athletes.
In an Instagram Story shared yesterday, the 20-year-old swimmer dismissed reports of her expulsion from the Olympic Village.
“I just want to clarify that I was never removed or expelled from anywhere,” Luana Alonso wrote in Spanish on Instagram Stories. “Stop spreading false information. I don’t want to give any statement but I am not going to let lies affect me either,” she added.
Take a look at her Instagram Story:
Luana Alonso addresses reports of her expulsion from Olympic Village
Alonso failed to advance into the women’s 100m butterfly semifinals on July 27, missing out of qualifying by a mere 0.24 seconds. She announced her retirement from the sport shortly after the event, but continued to stay on in the Olympics Village.
“I have been swimming for so long, 18 years, and I have so many feelings,” she wrote on Instagram while announcing her retirement. “Unfortunately, I made the decision to stop and I am happy that my last race will be at the Olympic Games.” Alonso was just 17 when she participated in the Tokyo Olympics.
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News / Trending / Swimmer Luana Alonso breaks silence on her expulsion from Olympic Village: ‘Stop spreading false info’
les ottolenghi Today at the Olympics: Monday’s schedule and highlights including Keely Hodgkinson and Noah Lyles
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the... moreToday at the Olympics: Monday’s schedule and highlights including Keely Hodgkinson and Noah Lyles
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Monday’s highlights
Simone Biles has already won three gold medals in Paris but she has further finals to come on the balance beam and floor exercise on the final day of artistic gymnastics. Biles has the chance to make history in the events – if she wins both she will join American swimmer Katie Ledecky and former Soviet Union gymnast Larisa Latynina on nine Olympic golds, which is the most of all time.
The headline star athlete of Monday and perhaps the entire Olympics is Noah Lyles. The Team USA sprinter is back from the thrilling 100m final in a bid to double up and take gold in the men’s 200m first round. Zharnel Hughes, Letsile Tebogo, Andre De Grasse and Erriyon Knighton are among the biggest threats to Lyles.
Keely Hodgkinson goes again in the women’s 800m final, with the Team GB star likely to face a challenge from Kenya’s Mary Moraa.
les ottolenghi Countdown to Paris 2024: Torch Relay Kicks Off as Olympic Fever Grips France
As of late July 2024, the Paris Summer Olympics, set to commence on July 26, 2024, are generating significant buzz with several key updates and developments capturing global... moreCountdown to Paris 2024: Torch Relay Kicks Off as Olympic Fever Grips France
As of late July 2024, the Paris Summer Olympics, set to commence on July 26, 2024, are generating significant buzz with several key updates and developments capturing global attention.
First and foremost, the Olympic torch relay, which began its journey in Greece, is now making its way through various French cities, creating a festive atmosphere nationwide. The relay, which will conclude at the opening ceremony in Paris, has already been marked by vibrant celebrations and enthusiastic crowds, setting an exciting tone for the games.
In terms of infrastructure, Paris has made substantial progress in preparing for the Olympics. The city has invested heavily in upgrading existing venues and constructing new facilities, including the stunning Aquatics Centre and the new Olympic Village, designed to be both environmentally sustainable and technologically advanced. The Paris 2024 organizing committee has emphasized eco-friendliness, with many venues utilizing green energy sources and sustainable materials.
Athlete preparations are also in full swing, with numerous national teams conducting their final training camps and trials. A particular highlight is the anticipated debut of several new sports, including breakdancing, which will feature prominently for the first time in Olympic history. The inclusion of these sports has sparked considerable interest, especially among younger audiences.