Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat made the headlines after being disqualified in the finals of her wrestling bout. Vinesh was found to be 100 gm overweight on the morning of her gold medal match and subsequently she was disqualified. Later on she filed a complaint to CAS to get her joint silver medal which was ultimately denied. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has finally published a detailed report about their findings on the issue.
“The consequences of the failed second weigh-in, which do not arise from any illegal or wrongful act on the part of the Applicant are, in the opinion of the Sole Arbitrator, draconian. A consequence of elimination without ranking from the round for which the Athlete was found ineligible, having been eligible for the rounds for which she competed, would seem to be a fairer solution,” read the CAS report.
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CAS refutes all claims by Vinesh Phogat & IOA
The CAS acknowledged how Vinesh Phogat’s weight increased after she wrestled in three bouts the previous day. The athlete had to eat and drink to maintain her health. Furthermore, the distance between the venue and the Athlete’s village was far making it further difficult for Vinesh to lose more weight.
On a secondary note, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) argued that bodies of males and females are different specially for menstruating females. To which the CAS claimed that there is no evidence of the same. “The biological difference in the bodies of male and female wrestlers, particularly in light of the menstruation of women, needs to be taken into account whilst determining the eligibility of female wrestlers on the second day of the weigh-in,” the IOA claimed in their statement.
“There is no evidence in this case of the consequences of differences in the bodies of male and female athletes with regard to weigh-in and weight categories. The weight categories generally and the 50 kg weight category for Vinesh Phogat as a woman wrestler are not challenged. The effects of any such differences, and of steps to mitigate such effects, are speculative and unsupported by evidence and cannot be considered for the purposes of this application,” the CAS said in their verdict.
Furthermore, the IOA also claimed about faulty weigh-in machines. The IOA said that an empty weigh-in machine registered 50 gm weight during the weigh-in period. The CAS refuted these claims. “The fact remains that the Applicant was above the 50 kg limit at the second weigh-in. There is no evidence to support the contention that, somehow, the scales were faulty,” the CAS said in a statement.
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