15 august 2024 : The decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to deny Indian 50 kg wrestler Vinesh Phogat a joint silver medal and to reject her appeal was anticipated, as indicated by United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic and International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach.
In 2017, the international wrestling governing body revised its competition regulations, establishing that international events, including the Olympics and World Championships, would feature competitions spread over two days for each weight category, rather than conducting all matches within a weight class on a single day, as had been the previous practice.
Although the two-day format offered commercial advantages, it also introduced a significant change in the sport: wrestlers would now weigh in on two separate days. The rationale behind this adjustment was that requiring an athlete to compete in a specific weight category over two consecutive days would necessitate maintaining a body weight much closer to their designated class, as the challenge of weight cutting on consecutive days would be considerably more demanding.
This was affirmed by Lalovic during the Paris Olympics following the announcement of Vinesh Phogat’s suspension. “Wrestlers are excessively losing weight, which poses risks to their health. While many are currently focused on their performance, they fail to consider the long-term consequences over the next 20 to 30 years. Our objective is for athletes to compete at their natural weight, as this is when they achieve optimal performance,” Lalovic stated.
Although Vinesh Phogat fell short of the weight limit by 100 grams on the second day, she had successfully reduced her weight from 52.7 kg to 50.1 kg after her initial match on Day 1 against Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman. The inability to shed the final 100 grams, despite her significant efforts, garnered considerable sympathy; however, the regulations were enforced as intended.
The regulations were established with the welfare of the wrestlers as a priority, and to rule otherwise would necessitate disregarding the original purpose in favor of emotional considerations.
Lalovic stated: “I am truly saddened and empathize with Vinesh and her disappointment… (However) if you permit this 100 grams, it would lead to the acceptance of 200 grams. There would be no limit…”
Bach acknowledged the human aspect of the situation by stating, “I have a certain understanding for the wrestler (Vinesh Phogat); it’s clearly a human touch,” during a media conference held by the IOC in Paris. He continued, “Currently, the appeal is with CAS. Ultimately, we will adhere to the decision made by CAS. However, it is the duty of the international wrestling federation to interpret and enforce their own rules. This responsibility lies with them,” he remarked.
In the aftermath of the CAS ruling, the Indian Olympic Association said it would explore further legal options for Vinesh Phogat.
