Vinesh Phogat Awaits Verdict On Silver Medal Plea: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has left the 2024 Paris Olympics Games village ahead of the verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on the plea for a joint silver medal in the women’s 50 kg freestyle wrestling.
At the 2024 Olympics, Vinesh competed in the women’s 50 kg freestyle event, where she defeated No. 1 seed and 2020 gold medallist Yui Susaki of Japan in the first round. She then beat Oksana Livach of Ukraine in the second round and Yusneylys Guzman of Cuba in the semi-final to make her way into the gold medal match.
However, during the weigh-in on the morning of the final, the Indian missed the weight limit by a mere 100 grams. It later emerged that she had gained some weight after replenishing following three gruelling bouts the day before and was around 2.7 kg overweight 12 hours before the weigh-in.
So, for the whole night, she worked out, even doing so in a sweat suit to the point of complete exhaustion. So when Vinesh lost weight after all that, she was rushed to the hospital due to dehydration.
Due to missing weight, not only was Phogat not allowed to compete in the final, but was disqualified from the whole tournament itself. This meant no medal, despite making it to the gold medal match. Yusneylys Guzman, whom Vinesh had defeated in the semifinal, took her place in the final and lost to American Sarah Hildebrandt.
Vinesh Phogat Awaits Verdict On Silver Medal Plea
As soon as the 29-year-old Indian missed weight, the Indian contingent and Vinesh herself appealed to the CAS. While the jurisdiction of the CAS expands to all sports, the Olympics are majorly focused on by the court.
The appeal from the Indian contingent was for a joint silver medal, to which point Vinesh had reached in the tournament without breaching any rules or limits. This is because she passed the weight check on the day of the first three rounds of matches.
CAS is set to announce their verdict today, and the Indian contingent is hopeful for a positive result. Vinesh Phogat had stayed in Paris for a week longer owing to her appeal. Now that a verdict is upon us, she has left the Games village.
“Vinesh is feeling a little better now, started eating a bit. She is not talking to anyone though. We are all with her,” an anonymous source told the media about the wrestler’s state of mind.
Phogat is being represented by Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania, some of the finest lawyers in India.
If her plea is successful, Vinesh Phogat will become the first Indian women’s wrestler to win a silver medal at the Olympics; it will also be India’s seventh medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and second silver alongside Neeraj Chopra.
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