Vinesh Phogat Fights for Justice: Emotional Battle with Court of Arbitration Following Paris Olympics Wrestling Disqualification
Indian Wrestler Vinesh Phogat Appeals Disqualification at Paris Olympics to CAS
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has escalated her disqualification from the Women’s Freestyle 50kg final at the Paris Olympics to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Following her exclusion, Vinesh initially sought reinstatement for the gold medal match but later requested a joint-silver medal. An interim ruling from CAS is anticipated on Thursday.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) confirmed the development through an anonymous source within the delegation. The source stated, “Yes, we got to know about it. It has been done by her team.”
During Wednesday morning’s weigh-in at 7:15 AM local time, Vinesh was found to be marginally over the 50kg weight limit by just over 100 grams, leading to her disqualification. Notably, she had weighed 49.90 kg on Tuesday morning, well within the permissible limit. Despite this, her weight increased throughout the day as she secured three consecutive victories, including a win over defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki, advancing her to the final.
Vinesh was set to compete against Sarah Hildebrandt of the USA, the Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist, for the gold medal. Her disqualification resulted in the loss of a guaranteed silver medal.
United World Wrestling (UWW) President Nenad Lalovic weighed in on the matter, expressing regret but emphasizing the importance of rule adherence. "We have to respect the rules. I’m so sad about what happened to her. She was overweight, even though by a small margin, but rules are rules. The weigh-in is public, and all the athletes are there. It’s impossible to let someone compete who doesn’t make the weight," Lalovic said.
An ad hoc division of CAS has been established in Paris to address any disputes arising during the Olympic Games or within the 10 days preceding the Opening Ceremony. The sporting community awaits CAS’s interim ruling on this matter.
Original Story https://sportstar.thehindu.com/olympics/paris-2024/news/paris-olympics-vinesh-phogat-disqualification-moves-court-of-arbitration-for-sport-appeal-wrestling-final-overweight/article68498583.ece
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