The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s appeal for an Olympic silver medal. Vinesh was disqualified from the Paris 2024 Olympics women’s 50kg wrestling final for missing the weight limit by 100 grams. She initially appealed to CAS on two grounds: challenging her disqualification and requesting to be considered for a joint silver medal. While her first appeal was denied and the second was reviewed, CAS has now dismissed it as well.
Following the dismissal of her plea, she turned to Instagram to share her frustration. The Indian wrestler posted a photo without a caption showing her lying on the mat with her hands covering her head. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has shown support by looking into additional avenues to ensure she receives justice.
The IOA’s statement emphasized the profound consequences of the CAS decision and called for a comprehensive reassessment of the rules governing weight discrepancies in wrestling.
Vinesh secured her spot in the final of the women’s 50 kg freestyle event by defeating Japanese wrestling icon Yui Susaki. However, she was disqualified from the gold medal match against Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States on the second day due to exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams. Vinesh contested the UWW’s decision and advocated for a joint silver medal with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who had been defeated by Vinesh.