Can a wrestling loophole get Vinesh Phogat an Olympics silver today? All eyes on CAS verdict today

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s fate will be decided, not on the wrestling mat, but in the courtroom today. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will rule on her appeal, a fight that could yet see her walk away with a silver medal from the Paris Olympics 2024.

Vinesh’s Olympic dream came crashing down after she was disqualified from the 50kg freestyle wrestling final for exceeding the weight limit by a mere 100 grams. The disqualification was a devastating blow, but it did not mark the end of her battle. 

Vinesh turned to the CAS, challenging the decision in hopes of securing a shared silver medal. United World Wrestling (UWW) President Nenad Lalovic had reportedly expressed doubt that the results would change, emphasizing that the UWW was simply adhering to established rules.

"The weigh-in was public, and everyone witnessed it. How can we allow someone to compete when the rules were clearly breached in front of everyone? We have no choice but to follow our rules," Lalovic told a TV channel.

He also dismissed the possibility of a significant overhaul of the weigh-in rules. "We introduced that rule to protect the health of athletes. Competitors must adhere to the weight regulations to compete. Perhaps some minor adjustments can be considered, but we are not changing the rules. Our medical commission advises us, and they are firmly against any changes," Lalovic added.

The contention from her legal team revolves around a critical loophole in the UWW rulebook. Vinesh had made it to the final after staying under the weight limit on the first day of the competition. The crux of her argument rests on the fact that despite her disqualification, the UWW allowed Japan’s Yui Susaki, whom Vinesh had beaten earlier, to compete in the repechage rounds. Susaki’s participation underlines an inconsistency in the application of rules, which Vinesh’s camp is keen to exploit, a report in Revsportz has claimed. 

if Vinesh’s disqualification meant she was no longer considered a finalist, on what grounds was Susaki allowed to fight for a medal? This is the loophole that Vinesh’s team hopes to leverage, the website said. BT could not independently verify the report.

Disheartened by her disqualification over weight issues, Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling.

She took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote in Hindi, "Mother, wrestling has defeated me, I have lost. Forgive me, for your dreams and my strength have been shattered. I no longer have the strength. Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all for your forgiveness."

As the CAS prepares to deliver its verdict, the wrestling world watches closely. Will this loophole be enough to turn the tide in Vinesh’s favor and see her share the silver with Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez? The answer is just moments away.