Olympics24: Know the reasons behind rejection of Vinesh Phogat's medal appeal

 

Even though Vinesh Phogat had appealed for the silver medal, it was almost certain that her appeal would be rejected. The statements made by Nenad Lalović, the head of the World Wrestling Federation, and Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, made it clear that they were not considering Vinesh's appeal. In the end, that's exactly what happened. On Wednesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed Indian wrestler Vinesh's appeal for the silver medal. But why was Vinesh's appeal rejected? Under what rule was the silver medal disqualified?

In 2017, the World Wrestling Federation changed the rules. It was decided that competitions in categories like the Olympics or World Championships would be held over two days. Previously, competitions in a single category were completed in just one day. There was a reason behind extending the competition to two days, and it was this reason that led to the rejection of Vinesh's appeal.

Lalović explained that the change was made with the health of wrestlers in mind. He said, "If the competition is held over two days, the weigh-in will be done on both days. In that case, wrestlers will have to maintain their weight over two days. Previously, many would significantly reduce their weight for a one-day competition. They might win medals, but the effect of rapid weight loss would take a toll on their bodies, which would become apparent 20-30 years later. To prevent this, the decision was made. We want wrestlers to compete in categories close to their natural weight, so they don't have to lose too much weight."

Vinesh's natural category is 53 kg, but she competed in the 50 kg category at the Olympics. After reaching the final on the first day, her weight had increased to 52.7 kg. She reduced it to 50.1 kg, but she was still 100 grams over the limit. If Vinesh had been able to compete in the 53 kg category, there would have been no issue with her weight. This was explained by the World Wrestling Federation and the International Olympic Committee to the international court.

Lalović made it clear that they understand Vinesh's disappointment and recognize the human aspect of this situation. However, the rules are the same for everyone. If they accepted Vinesh's extra 100 grams, then the next wrestler with 200 grams over the limit would also appeal. This would undermine the importance of weight-based categories and lead to unfair competition. The World Wrestling Federation and the International Olympic Committee were able to successfully present their argument to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is why Vinesh's appeal was dismissed.