Vinesh Phogat loses appeal, won’t get Olympics silver medal

Chandigarh, August 14

There will be no Paris Olympics silver for wrestler Vinesh Phogat, after all — the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) today rejected her petition to be jointly awarded a silver in the 50kg freestyle category.

The operative part of the CAS verdict summarily dismissed the petition in one sentence: “The application filed by Vinesh Phogat on August 7 is dismissed.” The full verdict is expected to be released by August 16.

Vinesh had been disqualified from the women’s 50kg wrestling final at the Olympics for exceeding the weight limit by around 100 gm. Vinesh then knocked on the doors of the CAS, petitioning that she be awarded a silver medal jointly because on Day 1 of the competition, when she had reached the final to assure herself of a silver, she had fulfilled the

50-kg weight criterion.

Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha expressed her disappointment over the decision. “The marginal discrepancy of a 100 gm and the resultant consequences have profound impact on Vinesh’s career. It also raises serious questions about ambiguous rules and their interpretation,” a statement by Usha said. — TNS