Hildebrandt Takes Gold as Opponent Fails to Make Weight

In a thrilling championship match on Wednesday, American wrestler Hildebrandt secured the gold medal in the 50-kilogram women’s category, defeating Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez with a decisive score of 3-0. This victory marks Hildebrandt as the fourth U.S. woman to achieve this honor, adding to the nation’s wrestling accolades at the Olympics. The path to the finals was unexpectedly altered when Vinesh Phogat of India, who had initially advanced with three wins, was disqualified for being 100 grams over the weight limit. This led to Guzman Lopez, who had lost to Phogat in the semifinals, being promoted to compete for the gold. Hildebrandt expressed her surprise at the turn of events, noting the unusual circumstances surrounding the match. Phogat's journey was particularly notable as she had previously defeated four-time world champion Yui Susaki of Japan, making her disqualification a significant upset. Her performance had set high expectations, and her absence from the gold medal match was a disappointment for Indian wrestling fans. Hildebrandt, who also emphasized the challenges of weight management in wrestling, expressed hope for the future introduction of more weight classes in the Olympics. Despite the difficulties associated with weight-cutting, she acknowledged it as an integral part of the sport, stating, “It sucks, but at the end of the day, this is definitely part of the job.”