Vinesh Phogat Appeals to Court of Arbitration for Sport Against Disqualification, Seeks Joint Olympic Silver
Vinesh Phogat has requested an urgent hearing to secure two Olympic silver medals—one for herself and one for the losing semi-finalist. The verdict on this request is expected to be delivered on Thursday.
Vinesh Phogat, disqualified from the women’s 50kg wrestling final at the Paris Olympics 2024 for exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams, has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). She is seeking an urgent hearing and requesting that two silver medals be awarded—one to herself and one to the losing semi-finalist. The verdict is anticipated on Thursday.
The disqualification means Vinesh, who had beaten Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semi-final, will not compete in the final against USA’s Sarah Ann Hildebrandt. An ad-hoc division of the CAS has been established in Paris to handle such disputes, with Vinesh’s case being evaluated under its rules.
According to CAS procedures, claimants must typically exhaust all internal remedies before appealing to CAS, except in cases where doing so would be ineffective due to timing constraints.
Former Indian wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt has expressed disappointment over Vinesh’s disqualification, calling it a significant loss for both her and India. He emphasized the importance of supporting Vinesh during this challenging time, noting that similar issues have affected international athletes as well.
Vinesh Phogat had advanced to the Gold Medal bout after securing a decisive 5-0 victory over Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semi-finals on Tuesday night.
