Why CAS rejected Vinesh Phogat's Paris Olympics appeal? Read court's 24-page detailed explanation

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Aug 19, 2024, 9:55 PM IST

The CAS has firmly upheld its stance regarding Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from the Paris Olympics final, emphasizing that the responsibility to stay within the weight limit rests solely on the athlete.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) while rejecting wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal against her disqualification at the Paris Olympics, emphasized that it is the athlete's responsibility to adhere to the weight limit. While no relief was granted on this basis, the CAS described the consequence of failing the weigh-in on the second day as "draconian."

Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics after missing the weight requirement by 100 grams on August 8, just before her scheduled gold medal bout in the women's 50kg category. According to UWW rules, wrestlers must meet the weigh-in criteria on both days of the competition. Unlike other international events like the Ranking Series, which allow a 2kg weight tolerance, no such allowance is provided at the Olympics.

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Vinesh Phogat made history as the first Indian woman wrestler to qualify for an Olympic final, but her disqualification sent shockwaves through the wrestling community. The controversy was heightened by her remarkable victory over the legendary Yui Susaki, who had never lost a bout in her international career until she faced Vinesh.

".....the Sole Arbitrator has concluded that the Applicant, of her own free will, entered into the 50 kg wrestling category and well knew that this required her to maintain a weight for competition below 50 kg.

"Article 7 of the Rules provides, relevantly, that each contestant is deemed to be taking part of her own free will and is responsible for herself and is entitled to compete in only one weight category, the one corresponding to her weight at the time of the official weigh-in," the detailed CAS order, which was published on Monday, stated.

Court of Arbitration for Sport releases the judgment giving reasons for the dismissal of Vinesh Phogat's application for silver medal in Olympics wrestling. https://t.co/laIdzBkNrr pic.twitter.com/FsXXSMn8hG

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia)

CAS finds force in the submission of that the consequences of failing the second weigh-in must be confined to the final event, however, expresses helplessness as the rules provide otherwise. https://t.co/27KTdTzB27 pic.twitter.com/xAyvm7OA3o

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia)

"The Applicant is an experienced wrestler who had previously competed under the Rules. There is no evidence to the contrary, or any evidence by the Athlete that she did not understand the weight requirements."

"She voluntarily entered the 50 kg category and, from the evidence, undertook a regime to keep within that weight limit. Her evidence was that she did not have sufficient time to complete a weight loss program, not that she somehow found it interfered with her bodily rights."

An ad-hoc division of the CAS rejected Vinesh Phogat's appeal on August 14, following three postponements. In her appeal, Vinesh requested to be awarded a joint silver medal with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, whom she had defeated in the semifinals. Lopez was promoted to the final after Vinesh's disqualification. The gold medal was ultimately won by American wrestler Sarah Ann Hildebrandt.

"The consequences of the failed second weigh-in, which do not arise from any illegal or wrongful act on the part of the Applicant are, in the opinion of the Sole Arbitrator, draconian."

"A consequence of elimination without ranking from the round for which the Athlete was found ineligible, having been eligible for the rounds for which she competed, would seem to be a fairer solution."

Vinesh Phogat returned to India on Saturday to a hero's welcome.

Here's a look at CAS' 24-page statement with regards to Vinesh Phogat case: