After the announcement of the rejection of her application for the Olympic silver medal following her disqualification from the women’s 50kg final in Paris, former Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat posted a cryptic post on social media. On Wednesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) released a statement confirming that, “The application filed by Vinesh Phogat on 7 August has been rejected.” Following the release of this statement, Vinesh posted a picture on Instagram on Thursday in which she was lying on a mat and covering her eyes with her hands, as if expressing a sense of discomfort.
According to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the verdict was originally scheduled to be announced on Tuesday, August 13 at 9:30 pm (IST), but was postponed to August 16. However, the verdict was announced on Wednesday.
After the Indian wrestler’s plea was rejected, the IOA is “considering further legal options.”
According to an official statement issued by the IOA, after the decision, IOA President PT Usha expressed surprise and disappointment at the decision of the sole arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) to dismiss wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s petition against United World Wrestling (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
“In view of the CAS order, the IOA stands in full support of Phogat and is considering further legal options,” the IOA said in its statement.
The IOA further said in its statement that it is “committed to ensuring that Vinesh’s case is heard. It will continue to advocate for justice and fairness in sports, ensuring that the rights and dignity of athletes and everyone in the sporting community are upheld at all times. We appreciate the continued support and understanding of our stakeholders, athletes and the public.”
“The effective part of the August 14 decision, which rejected Vinesh’s application to be awarded a shared silver medal in the women’s 50kg category at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, has significant implications for her in particular and the sports community at large,” the IOA said in its statement.
The IOA further said that outright disqualification of an athlete on the basis of a minor difference of 100 grams calls for a thorough investigation and raises questions about unclear rules and their interpretation.
“A minor difference of 100 grams and its consequence would have profound implications not only on Vinesh’s career but also raise serious questions about the ambiguous rules and their interpretation,” the IOA said.
“The IOA strongly believes that disqualifying an athlete completely for such a weight violation on the second of two days is a matter of deep scrutiny. Our legal representatives have duly represented this in their submissions before the sole arbitrator,” the IOA said in its statement.
The IOA claimed that the incident involving Vinesh’s case highlighted “inhumane rules” that do not take into account the physical and psychological stress faced by athletes, especially women athletes.
“The case involving Vinesh highlights the rigid and arguably inhumane rules that fail to take into account the physical and psychological stress that athletes, particularly female athletes, are subjected to. It is a stark reminder of the need for more equitable and reasonable standards that prioritise the well-being of athletes,” the IOA said.
The IOA has extended full support to Vinesh and confirmed that further legal options are being considered to ensure that Vinesh’s case is heard.
Vinesh was scheduled to face Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States for the gold medal on August 7. She was disqualified ahead of the women’s 50kg final on August 7 after she exceeded the 50kg weight limit before the final.
During weighing, his weight was found to be 100 grams more than the limit.
After being disqualified, Vinesh appealed for the silver medal in the 50 kg weight category.
On August 8, Vinesh wrote an emotional post announcing her decision to retire from wrestling. In her post, Phogat said, “Maa wrestling won over me, I lost. Forgive me, your dream and my courage are broken. I have no more strength left. Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to all of you for your forgiveness.”
Hildebrandt defeated Yusnelis Guzman Lopez of Cuba to win the gold medal in women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling.
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