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US wrestler Sarah Hildebrand thought she had won the gold medal after opponent Vinesh Phogat was disqualified for being overweight, but ended up playing in the freestyle wrestling final at the 2024 Olympics.
Hildebrand's original opponent in the final was Vinesh Phogat, but the Indian wrestler was disqualified for being 0.15 kg overweight during the weigh-in on the morning of August 7. According to Indian media at the time, Phogat did not receive any medal, while Hildebrand automatically won the gold medal without having to compete in the final. Even the American wrestler thought she would win the gold medal.
Yesterday, Paris time, Hildebrandt checked her weight at 7:15, and knew something was wrong because she didn't see Phogat. Phogat had tried many extreme methods to lose weight quickly, including fasting, working out all night, cutting his hair and draining his blood to lose weight, but still ended up 0.1 kg overweight.
When she heard about Phogat's disqualification, Hildebrandt wondered whether she would automatically receive the gold medal or face another athlete in the final. "It was a weird situation," the 31-year-old wrestler said. "Someone said congratulations to us, and I said no."
Later that morning, Hildebrandt said that many people had told her that she was 100% guaranteed to win the gold medal without even playing in the final. So she started celebrating with her coaching staff and family. "We were all crying and celebrating because we thought I had won," she added. "Because I got that information from many sources. But I won't reveal who they were."
But as the family arrived with champagne and began to celebrate, Hildebrandt received a call saying she would still have to play in the final, against Yusneylys Guzman. The Cuban wrestler, who had lost to Phogat in the semifinals, had been promoted to the gold medal match.
Hildebrandt immediately stopped celebrating and took a nap to prepare for the final match that evening. "My family had prepared champagne, but they told me to prepare my shoes for the match," Hildebrandt said.
In the final, the American athlete defeated Guzman 3-0, winning the first Olympic gold medal of his career. "What happened today was crazy," Hildebrandt added. "But I'm still happy to play in the final. It's strange to win without competing."
TB (summary)
