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Paris Olympics may have been over, but India has their eyes on the French capital as Vinesh Phogat is all set to learn her fate on Tuesday (August 13), on the appeal made by her in the Court of Arbitration or Sports (CAS) for a joint silver medal after her disqualification at the Games. However, irrespective of the verdict, the case will likely continue for weeks or months.
Why did Vinesh Phogat appeal for a joint silver medal?
A week back, Vinesh scripted history in Paris by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final, en route to which, she stunned then-defending champion and world no. 1 Yui Susaki of Japan in her opener. However, on Wednesday, she was barred from competing in the women’s 50kg freestyle final after being found overweight by 100 grams during the customary weigh-in.
The 29-year-old, with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in her corner, appealed to the CAS, demanding a joint silver medal alongside Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who had lost to Vinesh in the semis but replaced her for the final bout following her disqualification.
According to Article 11 of the United World Wrestling (UWW)’s rule book, an athlete who doesn’t make the permissible weight cut will be eliminated from the tournament. “If an athlete does not attend or fail the weigh-in (the 1st or the 2nd weigh-in), he will be eliminated of the competition and ranked last, without rank (Exception: cf. Article 56 – Medical Service Intervention).” Hence, she was denied any medal in the discipline.
What arguments were presented by Vinesh Phogat in CAS hearing on Friday?
According to a report in Indian Express, Vinesh’s counsel submitted an explanation that the excess weight following three straight bouts on Tuesday was due to the distance between the Champ de Mars Arena (the competition venue) and the Games Village, and the tight schedule between the ties. They further argued that an excess weight of 100 grams would have given her no competitive edge, and it was a result of a ‘classic and essential recovery process.’
The UWW loophole Vinesh Phogat can still exploit
Over the last few days, Nenad Lalovic, president of the United World Wrestling (UWW), whose rules Vinesh challenged in her appeal, reiterated that while they were sorry for what happened to the Indian wrestler, they adhered to the rules of the competition. They further stressed that there won’t be any major overhaul in the weigh-in rules even in the wake of this fiasco.
However, Revsportz found a loophole in the UWW rulebook that Vinesh could challenge if the verdict goes against her favour. According to the rules for the repechage round in wrestling, the athletes who lost to the eventual finalists, would get a second chance in the competition to battle for the bronze medal. In the women’s 50kg category, Susaki was one of the competitors in the repechage round, given that she lost to Vinesh in her opening bout, and the Japanese eventually went on to win one of the two bronze medals. But why would Susaki even be on the list for the repechage round given that Vinesh was ranked last following the disqualification? Shouldn’t the wrestlers who lost to Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzmán, who replaced Vinesh in the final after the latter’s disqualification, be named for the repechage round? By having allowed Susaki to compete in the repechage round, UWW indirectly indicated that Vinesh was a finalist in Paris, thus contradicting their own rules. And, by that logic, a silver medal should be a certainty for the Indian.
The report further hinted that irrespective of the verdict on Tuesday, either side is likely to re-appeal, thus dragging the case for weeks and months.