CAS slams UWW rule as “Draconian”, Vinesh responsible for maintaining weight

Vinesh Phogat, who was poised to compete in the gold medal bout of the women's 50kg wrestling category, was found to be 100 grams overweight during the second-day weigh-in on August 8.

This disqualification came as a major blow, especially following her impressive victory over Japan’s Yui Susaki, a wrestling icon with an unbeaten international record until that point.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had upheld the disqualification of Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat from the Paris Olympics, citing a breach of weight-limit regulations.

The decision, handed down by an ad-hoc division on August 14 after three postponements, has sparked intense debate over the fairness of Olympic weigh-in rules.

The CAS ruling confirmed that Vinesh was disqualified in accordance with the rules set by United World Wrestling (UWW), which mandate that athletes must clear the weigh-in on both days of the competition.

Unlike other international events where a 2kg weight tolerance is often permitted, the Olympics enforce a stricter no-tolerance policy.

The CAS judgment stated that "each contestant is deemed to be taking part of her own free will and is responsible for herself," emphasizing that Vinesh, an experienced athlete well-versed in the regulations, had knowingly entered the 50kg category and thus bore responsibility for adhering to its weight requirements.

While the CAS confirmed that Vinesh’s disqualification was consistent with the rules, it also criticized the consequences as "draconian."

The Sole Arbitrator noted that the elimination without ranking, despite Vinesh’s eligibility in the rounds she competed, seemed excessively harsh.

In her appeal, Vinesh had sought a joint silver medal alongside Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who was promoted to the final after Vinesh’s disqualification. The gold medal was ultimately awarded to American wrestler Sarah Ann Hildebrandt.

Despite the ruling, Vinesh Phogat received a hero's welcome upon her return to India on Saturday.