From disqualification of Vinesh Phogat to Imane Khelif gender row — 5 Olympians mired in controversy amid Paris Games

The Paris Olympics have seen everything from heartbreaking disqualifications to minor drug deals. Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat found herself vying for gold in the finals before she was disqualified for being around 100 grams overweight. Meanwhile Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and her Taiwanese counterpart Lin Yu-ting found themselves at the centre of a global gender-row— with millions clamouring for their disqualification.

Here are five athletes that found themselves in the news this Olympic Season:

Wrestling disqualification
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat set records on Tuesday as she stormed into the Olympic finals. She was disqualified hours later after being found around 100 grams overweight for the 50 kg bout. Members of her team revealed that the athlete had worked through the night to lose weight — limiting food and water intake, running and jogging for hours and sitting in a sauna. When everything failed the team had also resorted to extreme measures such as cutting her hair and shortening her clothes. Reportedly they even drew blood as Phogat sought to lose around 2 kg.

The athlete announced her retirement from wrestling soon after the ouster. She has however approached the court for a joint silver medal.

Gender row
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has won a gold medal on Friday following a tumultuous run that saw thousands across the globe chanting for her disqualification and insisting that she was a man.

The controversy stemmed from a ban that was handed to Khelif and fellow two-time Olympian Li Yu-ting of Taiwan amid the World Championships in 2023. The Russian-dominated International Boxing Association claimed that the duo had failed an eligibility test but have declined to officially share details. Khelif became eligible to compete in the Paris Olympics after the International Olympic Committee took the unprecedented step last year of permanently banning the IBA from the Games.

The IOC has repeatedly denied the assertion and insisted that the arbitrary sex tests imposed on the two boxers were irretrievably flawed. The IBA however has doubled down on its claims in recent weeks with many prominent personalities lending their voice to the misinformation.

Drug deal gone wrong
Australian Olympic hockey player Tom Craig was arrested for ‘buying cocaine’ from a drug dealer in central Paris. The Australian Olympic Committee said in a later statement that he had been released without charge but given a warning by the judge.

According to a police source quoted by AFP, he was arrested on arrested Wednesday around 00:30 am local time (2230 GMT) after "a cocaine transaction" near an apartment building. He was found to be in possession of around one gram of cocaine.

‘Entrepreneurship’ and porn deals
French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati went viral last week after his genitals snagged on the bar during a qualifying event. The somewhat mortifying turn of events appear to have vaulted (if you will excuse the pun) Ammirati to unexpected fame and even porn deals. According to TMZ and other outlets, an adult site had offered him a six-figure sum to showcase his “talent” on its platform.

Several Olympic athletes have opted for unexpected side hustles in order to make ends meet — including the decision to sell images of their bodies to subscribers on OnlyFans. The list includes several Olympic medalists (past and present) who dubbed the controversial platform an ‘absolute lifeline’ amid a marked lack of support from other quarters.