The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will deliver a verdict on Vinesh Phogat’s Paris Olympics disqualification appeal. The 29-year-old wrestler filed an appeal on August 7 after she wasn’t allowed to contest the gold medal match against the USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt. Weighed in on the morning of the final bout, she was found to be 100 grams overweight. A silver was assured, but according to United World Wrestling’s (UWW) rules, she was disqualified and placed last in the draw.
UWW’s ‘own’ rules
The UWW was adamant that Vinesh couldn’t participate; rules are rules, as many say. However, the UWW has bent those rules themselves. As per their rules, a player can only qualify for the repechage (bronze medal match) in wrestling if they lose to the eventual finalists. If Vinesh was placed last, how could Yui Susaki, the player who lost in the round of 16 to the Indian pugilist, reach the repechage round and eventually win the bronze?
If someone from Vinesh Phogat’s side of the draw were to reach the bronze medal match, it should have been Yusneylys Guzmán’s first-round opponent, Turkey’s Evin Demirhan. Guzman had reached the final despite losing to Vinesh in the semifinal 5-0, but since the Indian wrestler was disqualified, she earned herself a silver medal. Now, the UWW can overrule the rules they themselves set.
The CAS can certainly question the UWW as to why they chose to apply the rules in one case and flaunt them in the other.
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