No silver medal for Vinesh Phogat, CAS rejects her appeal

Indian fans suffered another heartbreak after the Olympics as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s application against the United World Wrestling (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday.

The decision was announced on the 14th of August evening as the operative part of the decision dismissed Vinesh's appeal of a shared silver medal in the women's 50 kg category.

Vinesh was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight at the time of the weigh-in on the morning of the women's 50kg freestyle final last week.

“The application filed by Vinesh Phogat on 7 August 2024 is dismissed,“ said the statement issued by CAS.

After being disqualified from the gold medal bout, Vinesh first appealed to be reinstated for the gold medal bout against Sarah Hildebrandt of the USA.

However, the appeal was later changed and Vinesh asked for a joint silver medal.

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha has expressed her shock and disappointment at the decision.

"The marginal discrepancy of 100 grams and the resultant consequences has a profound impact, not only in terms of Vinesh’s career but also raises serious questions about ambiguous rules and their interpretation,” the IOA said in a statement.

“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," the press release said further.

Extending their support to Vinesh, the IOA added, "In light of the order of the CAS, the IOA continues to stand in full support of Ms. Phogat and is exploring further legal options."