New Delhi, India, August 20, 2024: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has seen her appeal for an Olympic Games silver medal rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Having reached the final of the women's 50kg event in Paris, Vinesh was disqualified on the morning of the gold medal match for failing the weigh-in. She was 100 grams over the limit. Her results from the previous day were rendered null and void and she went home without a medal and was ranked last in the competition.
In a one-line order on August 13, the Ad Hoc division of CAS dismissed Phogat’s appeal.
In a detailed 24-page document released on Monday, August 19, Annabelle Bennett, the Australian arbitrator who presided over the case, underlined that, although there was no wrongdoing on Vinesh Phogat’s part, “many of her submissions would be relevant” if she had challenged the rules “but that is not the relief the applicant seeks”.
Some of the points made in the full verdict are:
· The problem for the Athlete is that the Rules are clear as to the weight limit and are the same for all participants. There is no tolerance provided for it is an upper limit. It does not even allow for the weight of the singlet. It is clearly up to an athlete to ensure that they remain below that limit.
· There is no dispute that the Athlete was above the weight limit. She gave the above evidence clearly and directly at the hearing. Her case is that the amount of excess was 100g and that a tolerance should apply as this is a small excess and explicable for reasons such as drinking water and water retention, in particular during the premenstrual phase.
· The verdict also emphasised that Phogat is an experienced wrestler and there was no evidence that she did not understand the weight requirements.
· The verdict stated the rules, draconian as they are, make it clear that not only is a wrestler removed from the competition but also ranked last and without a ranking.
· The verdict underlined that there was no wrongdoing on Phogat’s part.
· The document also emphasised that the Sole Arbitrator does not have the power to award medals. That rests with the IOC. The silver and bronze medals have been awarded. There is no provision in the Rules for the awarding of a second silver medal. The IOC pointed out that it awards medals based on rankings from the competition and that Phogat was not ranked.