Decoding timeline of Vinesh Phogat's Olympic medal saga
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was awarded her decision from the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) regarding her appeal against disqualification from the women's 50kg final at the Paris Olympics. The verdict was handed on August 14 by CAS' ad-hoc division. Phogat's appeal for a silver medal was turned down. Earlier on August 6, Phogat became the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final. She was however disqualified before the final.
Phogat's historic victory and subsequent disqualification
On August 6, Phogat defeated top seed Yui Susaki, two-time European Games medalist Oksana Livach, and Pan-American Games champion Yusneylys Guzman Lopez. Despite her victory, she was required to lose approximately 2kg before the next morning. However, even after taking drastic measures including cutting her hair, Phogat failed the weigh-in by 100gm on August 7 leading to her disqualification from the competition.
Phogat appealed for joint-silver medal, announced retirement
Following her disqualification, Phogat appealed to the CAS on August 7 seeking a joint-silver medal. The CAS accepted her appeal and referred it to Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett AC SC, sitting as a Sole Arbitrator. A hearing with all parties was held that day. In an unexpected turn of events, Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling via a social media post on August 8.
'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.
CAS extends deadline for verdict on Phogat's appeal
The hearing into Phogat's appeal concluded at the ad-hoc division of the CAS on August 9. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA), represented by Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania, expressed hope for a positive resolution. Initially, the IOA announced that the verdict would be given on August 11, but later corrected this statement. The final verdict was rescheduled to August 13, however, it was further extended by three days to August 16 by the CAS' ad-hoc division.
Phogat's lawyers argue weight gain due to natural recovery
Phogat was disqualified from the women's 50kg gold medal match after being found 100gm overweight during the weigh-in. Her initial appeal to compete in the final was rejected by the IOC, and Guzman Yusneylys, who lost to her in the semi-final, fought against USA's Sarah Hilderbrandt in the gold medal bout. Phogat's lawyers argued that her weight gain was due to her body's natural recovery process and not fraud.
The application filed by Vinesh Phogat has been dismissed
The verdict signed by Sole Arbitrator Annabelle Bennett stated: 'The application filed by Vinesh Phogat on 7 August 2024 is dismissed. A detailed order is expected in the coming days."
