The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the disqualification of Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat from the Paris Olympics final, citing strict weight regulations. The CAS ruled that no exceptions to the weight limit can be made, rejecting Vinesh’s appeal that a small excess weight due to factors like water retention should be tolerated.
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s appeal against her disqualification from the Olympic finals due to weight issues will be decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) by 6 p.m. local time (9.30 p.m. IST) on Saturday. The CAS accepted her appeal and extended the time limit for a decision after the ad hoc division initially set a Sunday deadline. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) expressed hope for a positive resolution. Phogat’s appeal seeks a joint silver medal with Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who replaced her in the finals after she failed to make weight.
Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs advocates for rule changes in wrestling to prevent situations like Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification at the World Wrestling Championships. Burroughs proposes a 1kg weight allowance, a later weigh-in time, and a forfeiture rule to ensure fairness and protect athletes from unexpected setbacks.
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the 50kg women’s freestyle wrestling final at the Paris 2024 Olympics after exceeding the weight limit by a little over 100 grams. UWW President Nenad Lalovic said the decision was in line with the rules and that exceptions cannot be made, emphasizing the need to protect athletes’ health from extreme weight cuts.
