CAS postpones decision on Vinesh Phogat's Olympic medal appeal again
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has once again postponed the verdict on Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal for a joint silver medal in the women's 50kg freestyle wrestling at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Initially expected to be announced on August 13, the decision has now been delayed until August 16, 6:00pm Paris time (9:30pm IST). This marks the third time that CAS has delayed its decision.
Phogat's disqualification triggers appeal
Phogat was disqualified on the morning of her gold medal bout for failing to meet the weight cut. Despite successfully meeting the weight cut on the day of her initial bout and advancing to the finals, she was found to be 2.7kg above the eligibility criteria later that night. Her efforts to shed these extra kilos proved unsuccessful, leading her to appeal for a joint silver medal.
CAS extends decision deadline under Article 18
The CAS confirmed the delay in a statement, "By application of Article 18 of the CAS Arbitration Rules for the Olympic Games, the President of the CAS Ad Hoc Division extends the time-limit for the Panel to give a decision until August 16, 2024 at 18h00 (Paris time)." Article 18 allows for an extension in exceptional cases, stating that this time limit may be extended if circumstances require.
Phogat's appeal timeline and retirement announcement
Phogat lodged her appeal against disqualification on August 7. While the CAS did not allow a second weigh-in or reinstate her in the gold medal bout, it agreed to hear her plea for a joint silver. The final verdict was expected before the end of Paris Games but has been postponed. Following this series of events, Phogat announced her retirement from the sport.
'My courage is broken...': Phogat on X
In a social media post announcing her retirement, she wrote: "Wrestling won the match against me, I lost... my courage is all broken, I don't have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will forever be in your debt." Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others from the sporting fraternity had expressed their support for Phogat on social media.
