No silver medal for Vinesh Phogat; CAS rejects petition following disqualification at Paris Olympics

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Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat's hopes of securing a joint silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics were dashed as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed her petition.

Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the 50kg women's freestyle wrestling final after she was found to be 100 grams overweight on the morning of the bout, a ruling that has now been upheld by the CAS.

Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from the final meant that she was ineligible to compete for a medal, and her appeal to be awarded a joint silver alongside the eventual runner-up was based on her assertion that the weight discrepancy was negligible and did not impact the fairness of the competition.

However, the CAS found no grounds to overturn the decision made by the Olympic authorities, citing strict adherence to the weight regulations in the sport. CAS, who initially planned on giving a verdict before the Paris Olympics ends, delivered the verdict by further 48 hours.

IOA president PT Usha came out with an official statement on the matter, expressing her shock and dismay while urging a deeper investigation.

"The IOA firmly believes that the total disqualification of an athlete for such a weight infraction on the second of two days warrants a deeper examination. Our legal representatives had duly brought this out in their submissions before the Sole Arbitrator," read an excerpt of the official statement.

The decision comes as a significant blow to Phogat, who had entered the Games as one of India's top medal prospects. The wrestler had a strong track record leading up to the Olympics, having won numerous medals in international competitions, including gold at the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Championships. Her disqualification not only cost her a chance at Olympic glory but also sparked a debate about the stringent weight criteria in wrestling.

The CAS is yet to provide an official statement detailing the reasons behind the decision, leaving the wrestling community and her supporters in a state of speculation. The ruling was eagerly awaited, with the CAS deferring its final verdict multiple times before announcing the dismissal.

Phogat's legal team had argued that the 100-gram excess was a minor infraction and should not have led to such severe consequences. However, the CAS upheld the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) commitment to enforcing the rules uniformly across all athletes.

The dismissal of Phogat's petition underscores the importance of weight management in wrestling, where even the slightest deviation can lead to disqualification.