The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced on Friday that a decision regarding the potential awarding of a silver medal to former Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, following her disqualification in the women’s 50 kg wrestling final, will be made before the conclusion of the ongoing Olympic event.
Phogat was disqualified from the final at the Paris Olympics after failing to meet the weight requirements, leading her to announce her retirement from wrestling on Thursday. Prior to her disqualification, Phogat had secured a spot in the gold medal match by defeating Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals. She was scheduled to face the United States’ Sarah Ann Hildebrandt for the gold but was disqualified on Wednesday for a weight breach.
In response to her disqualification, Phogat requested CAS to award her the silver medal. CAS released a statement, saying, “An application was filed at the CAS Ad hoc Division at 16:45 CEST on 7 August 2024 by Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat (the Applicant) in relation to the decision taken by United World Wrestling (UWW) to replace her, because of her failed second weigh-in, before the gold medal match of the Women’s Freestyle 50kg competition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 that was due to commence at 18:15 CEST the same day (the Challenged Decision).”
The statement further explained that Phogat initially sought a ruling from the CAS Ad hoc Division to overturn the disqualification and allow another weigh-in before the final match. However, due to the urgency of the situation, it was not feasible to issue a decision before the match commenced. The CAS Ad hoc Division procedure is designed to be swift, but given the time constraints, the respondent, United World Wrestling (UWW), could not be heard in time.
Despite this, the procedure is still ongoing, and Phogat has confirmed that she seeks the annulment of the disqualification and a (shared) silver medal.
Dr. Annabelle Bennett has been appointed as the sole arbitrator to hear the case, with a hearing scheduled for Friday involving all relevant parties. CAS expects to issue a decision before the Olympic Games conclude.
CAS has set up an ad hoc division in Paris, led by President Michael Lenard from the US, to address cases during the Olympics. This division operates within the Paris judicial court in the 17th arrondissement.
In an emotional post on X, Phogat shared her feelings of defeat and gratitude, writing, “Maa kushti (wrestling) won against me, I lost. Forgive me, your dream and my courage have been broken. I don’t have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all for forgiveness.”
In response, Wrestling Federation of India President Sanjay Singh urged Phogat to reconsider her decision. Speaking to the sources, Singh expressed that Phogat’s announcement seemed premature and suggested she discuss her retirement with her family, the Federation, and other sports officials upon returning to India. He emphasized her significant contributions to the sport, suggesting it might be too soon to make such a definitive decision.
