Vinesh Phogat declared her retirement from wrestling following a heartbreaking disqualification in the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling final at the Paris Olympics 2024.a
Vinesh Phogat, an Indian wrestler-turned-politician, retired following her heartbreaking disqualification from the Paris Olympics. Vinesh was poised to win at least a silver medal in the 50kg freestyle wrestling category at the 2024 Games, but he missed the obligatory weigh-in by 100 grams and was dismissed by the officials. Vinesh even challenged the ruling in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but she did not receive a favorable outcome. Later, the ace wrestler decided to leave the sport.
However, Vinesh posted on Instagram on Monday, implying that he will be returning to the mat. She wrote, “I understand you’re exhausted today. I agree that you are today’s hurt bird. However, you continue to be courageous. You are still alive to achieve the goal.On August 14, an ad hoc division of the CAS rejected her appeal against a heartbreaking exclusion from the final for being 100gm overweight, eliciting a strong reaction from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). On Monday, the CAS issued a thorough ruling outlining why Vinesh’s appeal was dismissed.”The rules are clear about the weight limit and apply to all competitors, which presents an issue for the athlete. Since -— is an upper limit, there is no tolerance given for it. It doesn’t even account for the singlet’s weight. Athletes are obviously responsible for making sure they stay below that threshold,” the CAS stated.
“The applicant’s weight exceeding the limit is undeniable. During the hearing, she plainly and succinctly presented the aforementioned evidence. In this situation, the excess was 100g, and since this is a minor excess that can be explained by factors like drinking water and water retention, especially during the premenstrual phase, a tolerance should be applied.On the morning of the women’s 50kg freestyle final, Vinesh, 29, was eliminated.
After three postponements, the decision on her appeal was finally made.
