CAS dismisses Vinesh Phogat's appeal for shared silver

The Ad-Hoc Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the petition filed by Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat against her disqualification from women's 50kg final of the Paris Olympic Games. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Dr. PT Usha has expressed her shock and disappointment at the decision of the Sole Arbitrator of CAS to dismiss Phogat’s application against the United World Wrestling (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).The Sports court is known for its strict application of the rules and regulations of the relevant sports federations, associations, or leagues. After this decision, Vinesh not only was not able to win silver but finished last in her category.
The operative part of the August 14 decision, which dismisses Vinesh’s application to be awarded a shared silver medal women’s 50 kg category at the Paris Olympic Games 2024, has significant implications for her in particular and the sporting community at large. The marginal discrepancy of 100 gm and the resultant consequences have a profound impact, not only in terms of Vinesh’s career but also raises serious questions about ambiguous rules and their interpretation. "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," said Usha in her statement.