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Vinesh Phogat completes hat-trick of CWG gold, medal spree in wrestling continues for India at Commonwealth Games 2022
Vinesh beat Sri Lanka's Chamodya Keshani Maduravlage Don to finish on top of the podium in the women's 53kg category as India continued their dominance in wrestling at the Birmingham Games.
India's Vinesh Phogat completed a hat-trick of Commonwealth Games gold medals by winning the women's 53kg freestyle wrestling on Saturday. She beat Sri Lanka's Chamodya Keshani Maduravlage Don to finish on top of the podium as India continued their dominance in wrestling at the Birmingham Games. Vinesh had won gold in the previous two editions at Gold Coast (in 2018) and in Glassgow (in 2014).
Vinesh beat her Sri Lankan opponent in just 2 minutes and 24 seconds with a victory by fall. For the majority of those 2 mintues, Vinesh had her opponent pinned on the mat.
“I want nothing less than a gold medal as I wish to complete my hat-trick of gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. It’s always special to carry the hopes of billions of people, including family members, when you go to a big event. I am looking forward to giving my best at the Birmingham Games and winning my third gold medal. In my cabinet, I have a lot of medals (14 so far), but I would like to have an Olympic medal as well,” she had told Hindustan Times in an interview before leaving for Birmingham.
She kept her promise by winning all her bouts with cruise control. With only four wrestlers competing in this weight category, the medals were decided in Nordic format - a round robin format unlike a knockout one in all other weight categories.
In what was expected to be a tough opener against world championship bronze medallist Samantha Leigh Stewart, Vinesh reduced it to a no contest and finished it in mere 36 seconds.
Vinesh had the Canadian in a headlock from where she pushed her on the mat and in no time pinned her rival.
Even before people could warm up to the contest, it was all over.
Next up for the 27-year-old Vinesh was Nigeria's Mercy Bolafunoluwa Adekuoroye, who tried to resist a bit but soon the Indian had her in an iron grip. Vinesh kept her in that position for more than a minute in a magnificent show of power.
Vinesh has been struggling for form and fitness ever since her defeat at the Tokyo Games, where she made a shock first-round exit after entering the field as the hot favourite for the gold medal.
