Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs has voiced his concern over the current rules in wrestling after Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the World Wrestling Championships due to a weight violation. Phogat, who was set to face USA’s Sarah Hilderbrandt in the final, exceeded the weight limit by a mere 100 grams. This unfortunate incident resulted in her being ranked last in Paris 2024, despite reaching the final. Burroughs, taking to X, emphasized the need for UWW to amend its rules to prevent such situations in the future. He proposed several immediate rule changes, including a 1kg weight allowance on the second day of competition, pushing the weigh-in time from 8:30am to 10:30am to allow athletes more time to prepare, and a forfeiture rule for finals where one finalist misses the weight requirement. Burroughs strongly believes that if a wrestler fails to meet the weight standard in the final, the opponent should automatically be awarded the silver medal instead of being relegated to last place. This, he argues, would ensure that athletes who reach the finals are not penalized for their opponents’ weight issues. He further suggests that after a semifinal victory, both finalists’ medals should be secured, even if weight is missed on the second day, with the gold medal only being awarded to the wrestler who successfully makes weight. This proposed change aims to create a fairer and more consistent system, safeguarding the hard work and dedication of all athletes competing at the highest level.
Jordan Burroughs Calls for UWW Rule Changes After Vinesh Phogat’s Disqualification
