Tokyo Olympics: Vinesh Phogat returns stronger, smarter to fulfil medal dream
Five years after being stretchered off the mat with a twisted knee in Rio, India’s Vinesh Phogat believes she has grown mentally stronger and technically accomplished as she resumes her bid for an Olympic gold in Tokyo.
Phogat’s dream of a medal in her first Olympics was cruelly cut short in 2016 when she hurt her ankle during her quarter-final bout against a Chinese opponent and left the mat in tears.
“I now have the experience of playing one Olympics. I know what to expect, how to prepare and how to conduct myself,” the 26-year-old told the Times of India newspaper on Saturday.
“All these setbacks helped me become stronger, and I feel I enter Tokyo as a much stronger athlete mentally.
“I want to finish what I have started.”
Currently training in Hungary, Phogat is the world number one in women’s 53kg category and also the top seed in Tokyo.
