The appeal of Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat for the awarding of a shared silver medal following her disqualification in the Olympic final for exceeding the weight limit has been denied by the ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Paris. The court confirmed the decision on Wednesday, according to Press Trust of India.
Phogat was disqualified from the women’s 50-kilogram freestyle final after weighing 100 grams over the weight limit on August 7. Instead of becoming the first Indian woman to participate in an Olympic final, she was deprived of the opportunity to compete for a medal. She had appealed with a request to have acknowledged the three victories she secured after a successful weigh-in on August 6.
The International Sports Court, which serves as the highest authority in sports disputes, announced that a judge had held a hearing on Phogat’s case against United World Wrestling and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The court had initially stated that a decision would be made before the end of the Games on Sunday but granted the arbitrator, Annabelle Bennett, additional time due to “exceptional circumstances,” postponing the decision deadline to Tuesday. On Tuesday, the Wrestling Federation of India announced that the court had once again pushed the deadline to Friday.
Following the incident, Phogat announced on social media on August 8 that she would be retiring from the sport. The post, written in Hindi, translates to: “My courage is broken; I have no strength left now. Goodbye Wrestling, 2001-2024.” This incident has raised concerns about the dangers of weight regulation in wrestling, particularly given that the Olympics only feature six weight classes compared to ten in other international competitions.
India’s medal tally at the Paris Olympics remains at six – one silver and five bronze medals.