Paris Olympics 2024 Highlights, Day 15: Reetika Hooda’s medal hopes crash; end of the line for Indian contingent at Paris 2024

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Algeria's Imane Khelif, who was thrust into the centre of a gender dispute at the Paris Games, said she was born a woman and has been living as such, after winning the welterweight gold medal at the Olympics on Friday.

"I am a woman like any woman. I was born a woman and I have lived as a woman but there are enemies to success and they can't digest my success," Khelif said in the press conference. (MORE HERE)

The 2024 Paris Olympics will come to a conclusion with a grand closing ceremony in the French capital on Sunday, August 11. The star-studded event will reportedly feature the likes of Tom Cruise, Snoop Dogg, Billie Eilish in what is to be a mix of pre-recorded and live performances. Iconic French bands Phoenix and Air shall also be performing at the ceremony. As the Games in Paris come to a close, the baton shall be passed to the next hosts – Los Angeles, USA in 2028. (MORE DETAILS HERE)

Aman Sehrawat would be the only Indian wrestler to pick up a medal from the Paris Olympics after women’s 76 kg grappler Reetika Hooda failed to go past the quarterfinals of her category, finishing at the wrong end of a 1-1 bout against two-time World Championship medallist Aiperi Medet Kyzy of the Kyrgyz Republic on Saturday. (READ Shashank Nair's piece after India's hope to level the seven-medal haul from Tokyo 2021 - minus the gold - came crashing down with Reetika Hooda's knockout)

Kevin Young did not race in the Men’s 400m Hurdles final at Paris Olympics, but it is worth mentioning his name for context. On August 6, 1992 he won gold at Barcelona Olympics, running a stunning 46.78 seconds race, and becoming the first man to break the 47-seconds barrier in the event. That record stood for nearly three decades until Karsten Warholm broke it July 2021 with 46.70s. In the two years since that remarkable feat by Warholm, Young’s 46.78s has been pushed to No 19 on the list of best timings in Men’s 400m Hurdles. In fact, Young’s 1992 feat is now the only timing in the top 25 all-time that is not owned by Karsten Warholm or Rai Benjamin or Alison dos Santos.

The incredible trio, who have elevated this event into one of the most hotly-anticipated races at any global meet, were back on the podium... just as they were in Tokyo. (READ Vinayakk Mohanarangan's piece on the surreal trio of Athletics)

“It was a very brutal day. (My first reaction) was of disbelief. Shock. I wanted to vomit. Early in the morning, somebody sent me a message. Frankly, I had no idea what was going on. It was crazy,” Bindra said.

Bindra acknowledged that from ‘a sports perspective, it is governed by rules and regulations’. “I am referring to the human side. She has gone through a tough time over the course of the last year and a half. To come back, qualify for the Games and come up with this performance. Incredible. To have misfortune, bad luck…Sport as life can be brutal. And I think it was perhaps the most brutal day for Indian sport in our history. I don’t think there could be anything that could even come close,” he added. (READ more on the developments around Phogat's CAS hearing)

At Paris Olympics there is a new tradition of taking selfies on the medals podium. And like every other medal winning bunch, javelin gold winner Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem and silver medal winner India's Neeraj Chopra also took a selfie along with bronze medal winner Anderson Peter of Grenada on Friday.

With India and Pakistan sharing a strained political relationship, this gesture by Neeraj and Arshad on the podium at the grandest stage painted a picture of unity and mutual respect. "It was a very healthy competition, with Arshad doing a great job and breaking the Olympic record. Big congratulations to him. I wish our competition continues to be this strong. We will keep working hard and give javelin support in our countries while motivating kids who may want to take up the sport," Neeraj said. (READ MORE)

The ad hoc division of CAS has extended time for the Sole Arbitrator Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett in the Vinesh Phogat vs. United World Wrestling & the International Olympic Committee matter to give a decision till 6-00 p.m. on August 13, 2024. 

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is all for the Indian contingent in Paris. Reetika Hooda’s repechage chances are over. 

USA’s Kennedy Blades wins a rather sensational semifinal to defeat top seed Medet Kyzy 8-6. An action packed bout that went all the way to the final seconds. 

Ironically, Reetika had beaten Kennedy Blades to become the U23 World Champion only last year. And it is Blades who ends Reetika’s debut Olympic medal hopes. 

That’s all folks… (except for waiting for CAS’ verdict, of course)

Kennedy Blades is LIGHTNING QUICK and she goes up to a 8-6 lead. But, some hope for Reetika still, as Medet Kyzy fights her way back into the match to make it 6-8, with 90 secs to go! She could still win this.

Kennedy Blades, in case you haven’t clips on social media already, produced one of the most astonishing takedowns you’ll ever see in her first round win. A stunning 5 pointer that injured her opponent. This is a tight bout so far, and the American leads 3-2 after the first period.

An important bout on the wrestling mats for India. The repechage chance for Reetika Hooda will be decided shortly. If Medet Kyzy beats Kennedy Blades in the semifinal, then Reetika will be in action in the repechage round.

Sure, it must be heartbreaking to not repeat the performance from the Worlds and run along with the best of the best. You couldn't say that, however, about most of India's athletics contingent.

As expected, Neeraj Chopra was the sole saviour. The Tokyo gold medallist in men's javelin throw, added a shiny silver to his cabinet at Paris, coming up with a crucial 89.45m – a Season Best, bettering the mark of 89.34m he had set in the qualification. It is a mark of Neeraj's class that he brought out the two best throws of 2024 (and his 2nd best lifetime throw behind only the National Record mark of 89.94m) at the biggest stage of them all. (READ Vinayakk Mohanarangan's analysis of India's athletics contingent at Paris 2024)

Shivani Naik: The silver might or might not come. But it would be so cool if the mystery masked figure on the silver horse is finally revealed to be... India's most heroic story of the Games, Vinesh Phogat.

On Opening nite, the mystery torchbearer was in fact, Florianne Issert, a non-commissioned officer of Gendarmerie Nationale on the motorized horse along the Seine. A silver armor and cape and a chance to say Wassup! to Tom Cruise, could be a cool way to bow out of her Olympic odyssey.

Not won by Americans, but made in America: With 60 medals as of Saturday afternoon, athletes from NCAA won nearly as much gold as the two biggest Olympic powerhouses, China (34) and the USA (33).

Mihir Vasavda's fascinating report from Paris on the US college sporting system that has churned out the most winners at the Games. (READ HERE)

The ad hoc division of CAS has extended time till 6-00 p.m. on August 11, 2024, for the Sole Abritator Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett in the Vinesh Phogat vs. United World Wrestling & the International Olympic Committee to issue a decision. The reasoned order will be issued at a later date.

Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who had edged out Aditi Ashok for a bronze in Tokyo Olympics, has won the gold medal in the women's individual golf event in Paris. The Kiwi golfer had won a silver medal in Rio Olympics. That’s a nice way to compete the medal treble!!

“The journey continues, and we’ll rise again”

It’s been a while since their dreams of what seemed a certain medal came to an earlier than expected *end and finally one of SatChi has posted a social media message.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were defeated in the quarterfinals, and since then Coach Mathias Boe has moved on as well.

Here’s what Satwik had to say:

"We gave it our all, training tirelessly to bring a medal home for India at the Olympics. Unfortunately, we fell short in the quarterfinals.

"The pain is real and I feel it deeply – the road ahead starts from ground zero. ?? I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone for your overwhelming support and positive messages – they mean the world to me, even though I still feel numb.

"I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to my incredible coaches @mathias.boe @gopichandpullela gopichandpullela , trainers @caleb.linnfit ,doctors, and physios who stood by me during the toughest times."

Aman Sehrawat was 10 years old when he lost his mother, who suffered from depression. A year later, he lost his father, who couldn’t bear the untimely demise of his wife. At 11, Sehrawat was orphaned. “This medal is for them,” Sehrawat said. “They don’t even know that I became a wrestler, that there’s something called the Olympics.” Back then, he didn’t know. (READ Mihir Vasavda's story from Paris)

#WATCH | Paris: On Sports Court CAS's hearing of Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, Bronze medallist Indian Men's Hockey Team Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh says "What Vinesh Phogat did is a very big thing. She had to face a lot last year but she showed sportsmanship and reached the finals… pic.twitter.com/87X8G7frn3

— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2024

Rei Higuchi, Japan's 57kg freestyle wrestling champion at the Paris Olympics has extended his support to Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in the 50kg weight class for being overweight by 100 grams over the permissible limit. Higuchi won the gold with a 4-2 victory over American Spencer Richard Lee.

In a remarkable comeback, Higuchi overcame his past disappointment of being disqualified from the Tokyo Olympics qualifiers after he was found overweight by 50-gram weight. Following his Paris victory, Higuchi showed solidarity with Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, offering support amidst her own challenges at the Games. (MORE HERE)

#WATCH | Paris: On Sports Court CAS's hearing of Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, Olympic Silver medallist, Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra says "All of us know that if she gets the medal it will be really good. She would have got the medal if such a situation did not arise. If we… pic.twitter.com/TtKWF11Yzk

— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2024

Sandeep Dwivedi writes in his weekly sports newsletter: Affable Neeraj, Angry Neeraj, Pragmatic Neeraj, Avenger Neeraj make a Champion Neeraj

"India's most-decorated individual Olympian-ever wasn't the affable boy with an angelic smile who makes mothers wince when he tumbles to the ground after completing his throws. But after the stadium light dimmed, well after it was decided that he had finished second to Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, the rage vanished somewhere in the Paris night. He was disappointed but he was anything but a sore, annoyed loser. He was laconic, and like always, self-deprecating. Neeraj was respectful towards Nadeem but didn't try too hard to be normal and told the world that he was 'happy for him'. He even didn't overdo the Indo-Pak friendly neighbour thing." (READ MORE)

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Very proud to be on the podium for India once again at the Olympic Games. Thank you for the love and support. Jai Hind! ??… pic.twitter.com/b2DoatANPn

— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) August 10, 2024

Rai Benjamin is finally a Olympic champion. After finishing 2nd in one of the greatest ever Olympic Games races in Tokyo, Rai got the better of reigning champion Karsten Warholm in the men’s 400m Hurdles final last night. This is his history from Tokyo 2020, by Sandip G. (READ MORE)

Mian Channu and Khandra are as nondescript villages as they come. With one throw of the spear, they are now at the heart of the world athletics map.

The first, a modest village in Pakistan’s Khanewal district, is where Arshad Nadeem grew up as the jack of all trades.

Someone asked the young boy, big for his age, to play badminton. He did, and claims to be quite decent at it. Another person, he laughs, invited him to try football. He duly accepted it — “I was a good full-back”. Cricket came naturally to him and the burly man with strong shoulders was a “feared bowler” in his village. (READ MORE)

Afghan refugee Manizha Talash has been disqualified from the Paris Olympics 2024 after displaying “Free Afghan Women” on her cape during her breaking routine in the competition’s pre-qualifiers on Friday.

The 21-year-old who lives in Spain, wore a light blue cape that had the phrase written on it with large white letters. Talash was “disqualified for displaying a political slogan on her attire,” the World DanceSport Federation said in a statement. (READ MORE)

At the end of the quarterfinal bout in the women’s 76kg freestyle wrestling both Reetika Hooda and Aiperi Medet Kyzy were bent double. They were gasping, looking exhausted, because the six minutes of wrestling action that preceded that moment was — quite literally — breathtaking. Not because it was a high-scoring bout that witnessed some crazy takedowns (like the 5-pointer that we saw earlier in the day from an American grappler that left everyone stunned). But because this was a cagey affair dominated by stout defence. In the end, the scoreboard read 1-1 and top seed Medet Kyzy reached the semifinal. 'Wait, what?' you must be wondering. Here's why Reetika lost despite being tied 1-1 on the scoreboard. (HERE's why)

The legend of Arshad Nadeem wasn't born day before yesterday as he threw the Javelin to an Olympic-record distance. His ‘spiritual father’ and childhood coach Rasheed Saqi traces Arshad’s story from humble beginnings to the struggles in the journey 

Salwar kameez and early winters. That’s what the coach Rasheed Ahmad Saqi remembers about his first meeting with the Paris Olympics champion javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem.

“It was early winters in 2011 and a young Arshad had come to the Municipal Stadium in Mian Channu to compete in the divisional athletics meet. He was more than six feet tall and I was impressed by the way he threw the 600-gram javelin. When I asked him, why didn’t you compete in a tracksuit, the 13-year old said, “School di chutti si te, main edha hi a gaya (It was a school holiday and I came like this only),” Saqi recalls to The Indian Express. (READ Nitin Sharma's stellar profile of one of the stars of Paris Olympics)

EXPLAINED: Why wrestler Reetika Hooda lost the quarterfinal despite the scores being tied at 1-1? 

At the end of the quarterfinal bout in the women's 76kg freestyle wrestling both Reetika Hooda and Aiperi Medet Kyzy were bent double. They were gasping, looking exhausted, because the six minutes of wrestling action that preceded that moment was -- quite literally -- breathtaking. Not because it was a high-scoring bout that witnessed some crazy takedowns (like the 5-pointer that we saw earlier in the day from an American grappler that left everyone stunned). But because this was a cagey affair dominated by stout defence. In the end, the scoreboard read 1-1 and top seed Medet Kyzy reached the semifinal. 

'Wait, what?' you must be wondering. Here's why Reetika lost despite being tied 1-1 on the scoreboard.

What is the tiebreaker? 

Despite both wrestlers getting just 1 point each for passivity, the tiebreaker went against Reetika because of countback.

The order of tiebreakers in wrestling are also follows:

- the highest value of holds;
- the least amount of cautions;
- the last technical point(s) scored

Examples: If the wrestler in red scores 1 1 1 1 1 1 for 6 points total, and the wrestler in blue registers 1 2 1 1 1 for 6 points also, then the red wrestler wins because the first tiebreaker is the highest value of a takedown. The red wrestler gets it because they had a 2-pointer. The 2nd tiebreaker is cautions, which is self-explanatory. 

Now if the wrestler in red scores 1 1 1, and the wrestler in blue scores 1 1 1, and if the last technical point scored was by the blue wrestler, then blue wins. This is the rule that got Reetika knocked out. 

Aditi Ashok signs off from Paris 2024, with a good 4-Under Par round today. Helps her climb up the leaderboard, but she will be left wondering perhaps about the third round. Diksha Dagar had a forgettable Round 4, +6 for her on the day, to finish +13 overall. Had a solid first couple of rounds but fizzled out. Unless Reetika Hooda gets repechage, that will be the end for India's Paris Olympics.

Aditi Ashok having a superb Round 4, with four straight birdies in the back-9 for -4 today. If only... if only, Round 3 wasn't as bad as it was for her. She'd at least be closer to the top of the leaderboard today. 

Aditi Ashok goes up five places to be tied-35th. It's been a decent finish from her so far, 1 Under Par for the day. Diksha continues to struggle with a +7 for the day. 

If Medet Kyzy beats Kennedy Blades in the semifinal, then Reetika will be in action in the repechage round. 

And for what it is worth, Reetika beat Kennedy Blades 9-2 to win the U23 World Championships gold, so that is there too.

So India's chance of one last medal depends on Kyrgyzstan. Medet Kyzy must beat USA's Kennedy Blades in the semifinal... from what we have seen of Blades today, that is going to be a tough ask, because Blades has been on fire. 

We will know only later tonight what the future holds for Reetika, around 11 pm or so. 

Our resident optimist Shivani Naik is confident India's medal tally is set to increase still, after seeing Reetika's bouts: 

REETIKA LOSES A TIGHT QUARTERFINAL: Perhaps the worst way to lose a wrestling bout? Just 1 passivity point to each wrestler and because Medet Kyzy was the last wrestler to win a point, she gets the win on the basis of countback. Cruel, this sport can be sometimes. Reetika gave it a good go in the last few seconds but the top seed too sturdy on defence. 

Into the last minute and Reetika must find a way to attack and score very soon. One move is likely to decide this bout. 

This was the problem with being defensive. Medet Kyzy gets the passivity point after Reetika is put on the clock. The Indian is force to attack but great defence from the top seed and she now leads on countback after the bout is tied 1-1. 67 seconds to go! 

End of the first period: Just that passivity point for Reetika separating the two wrestlers. All to play for in the next three minutes. Reetika solid in defence so far but can't afford to go into a shell. 

A couple of warnings for Reetika but the clock for passivity is first given to Medet Kyzu and the Indian wrestler goes into the lead. Just 1-0 though, long way to go. 

Senior World Championships silver medallist vs U23 World Champion. KGZ vs IND.

Medet Kyzy comes out flying in attack but Reetika holds off that early whirlwind, nearly countering too there. But no points.

Here we go then, the next bout is Reetika vs the top seed.

Reetika’s coach Mandeep, also one of Sakshi’s coaches, pointed to a boom in admissions since the red-letter day at the 2016 Rio Olympics. When she started on the mat nine years ago, Reetika was part of the training group comprising Sakshi and other seniors.

Mandeep has been around long enough to plot the rise in numbers and the intensifying competition among Olympic aspirants. “I joined the centre in 2010. Then there were about 25 women wrestlers. Now there are nearly 100 of them. Sakshi’s medal really spurred interest. In and around Sakshi’s village Mokhra there are five to six wrestling academies for women. Apart from our centre, there are another seven to eight akhadas only for women in Rohtak. The bar is set very high for women wrestlers from Rohtak. Reetika is the most promising wrestler to emerge from here after Sakshi,” Mandeep says.

A quick backgrounder on Reetika's quarterfinal opponent. 2023 World Championships silver medallist Aiperi Medet Kyzy was close to a medal on her Olympic debut in Tokyo, finishing in fifth place after losing her semifinal. “I met the US wrestler Adeline Gray and unfortunately I lost 3-2. But I can say I learned a big lesson. Now I'm working on my previous mistakes and hope that if we meet again I can beat her.” (via United World Wrestling, 26 Apr 2022)

A celebratory atmosphere filled Reetika Hooda’s Rohtak home as family, friends, and well-wishers gathered to congratulate the rising wrestling star. Reetika Hooda's qualification for Paris 2024 marked a significant milestone for Indian women's wrestling, which has been steadily gaining momentum on the global stage.

Nihal Koshie wrote in April in this feature...

Read more.

Before leaving for Paris, Harman said the Odisha WC phase was something that had never happened in his life. Fast forward to Paris, Olympic Games' men's hockey leading goal-scorer overall.

Read more here.

Meanwhile a high jump update from one of the two defending champions. Gianmarco Tamberi, who has had a rough start to the Paris Olympics after dropping his wedding ring into the Seine during the Athletes Parade, has given a health update after experiencing pain in his kidney region. It remains to be seen whether he competes.

In a post on Instagram, translated from Italian, the man who famously competes with half his face clean shaved and the other half sporting a beard, wrote:

“It's finished...I hoped until the very end, I believed in spite of all that had happened
l've received such a great support and affection from all of you that gave me a unique strength to rise from this yet another problem, but it was obviously meant to be like this....

“Woke up at 5am this night because of the same throwing pain I had a few days ago. Yet another kidney colic. It's been 5 hours and the pain is still not over.
Managed to beat fate once after that injury in 2016, this time unfortunately I really think he won. I'm speechless, truly, so sorry. Am I am going down in pedana tonight. Yeah, but I really don't know how l'm going to jump in these conditions,” he writes.

Aditi Ashok with two birdies and two bogeys so far today, for an even Par. Has moved up the leaderboard slightly to be tied-37th. But it's not been a good day for Diksha who has dropped five strokes today in the front-9.

Well it was a good afternoon, at least if you were in Botswana yesterday. Reports from the African nation have jubilantly let the world know that they for one know how to celebrate a gold medal. The president of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi, had declared a public half-holiday to allow the residents to celebrate Letsile
Tebogo's historic gold medal in the 200m which was Botswana's first-ever Olympic gold.

Tebogo, who dedicated his win to his late mother, set a new national record with a time of 19.46 seconds, which makes him the 5th fastest man in history.

Up next for Reetika:

2023 World Championships silver medallist Aiperi Medet Kyzy was close to a medal on her Olympic debut in Tokyo, finishing in fifth place after losing her semifinal. “I met the US wrestler Adeline Gray and unfortunately I lost 3-2. But I can say I learned a big lesson. Now I'm working on my previous mistakes and hope that if we meet again I can beat her.” (United World Wrestling, 26 Apr 2022)

Amit Kamath: Manizha Talash, an 21-year-old Afghan refugee who competed in the debuting sport of breakdancing and took her moment under the Global arc lights of the Olympics Games to shine a spotlight about the state of Afghanistan women, has been disqualified!

Here's the Reuters report. 

Afghan B-Girl Manizha Talash, a member of the refugee Olympic team at the Paris Games, was disqualified after displaying the words "Free Afghan Women" on her cape during her breaking routine in the competition's pre-qualifiers on Friday.

Talash, who lives in Spain, wore a light blue cape that had the phrase written on it with large white letters during her pre-qualifier loss to India Sardjoe of Netherlands.

Political slogans and statement are banned on the field of play and on podiums at the Olympics and breaking's governing body later said the 21-year-old had been disqualified.

Talash was "disqualified for displaying a political slogan on her attire," World DanceSport Federation said in a statement.

The Paris Games are the third Olympics where a team of refugees is taking part, with 37 athletes competing in 12 different sports including athletics, badminton and boxing.

Afghanistan is represented by a contingent of three women and three men, in a largely symbolic move by the International Olympic Committee as a message to the country, which under Taliban rule has restricted women's and girls' access to sports and gyms.

Both the head of Afghanistan's national Olympic committee (NOC) recognised by the IOC and its secretary general are currently in exile.

The Taliban - who say they respect women's rights in line with their interpretation of Islamic law and local customs - have closed girls' high schools, placed travel restrictions on women without a male guardian and restricted access to parks and gyms since seizing power in August 2021.

The IOC has said no Taliban official has been accredited for the Games.

Reetika Hodda's quarterfinal bout is 5 matches away on Mat B. Quick recovery and she must come out to take on the top seed, Aiperi Medet Kyzy.

REETIKA HOODA INTO THE QUARTERFINALS: That was proper domination from the Indian youngster. She could have easily saw the bout through to a safe end, at 10-2 and less than a minute to go. But she keeps pushing Nagy and gets the 2-pointer in the end to end the bout before time, wins 12-2 on technical superiority,. (Wrestling bout ends when one wrestler has a 10-point lead)

Reetika nearly has her opponent pinned! But it is still enough to get a couple of two pointers and the Indian is on the verge of winning this by technical superiority. 

Brilliant use of the leg from Reetika to get Nagy off balance and she has another 2 pointer to up 6-2. Into the last couple of minutes now.

Reetika Hooda takes a 4-0 lead! You don't see this often early in a bout. The passivity clock was on Reetika but wrestlers usually don't go all out during it, because the opponents are waiting for a chance to counter. But Reetika does go for the attack and gets a couple of 2 pointers. 

End of first period though, Nagy with a 2-pointer herself and it a close bout. 

First period: Heavyweight bouts can often be cagey, low-scoring affairs. One mistake is all it would take.