Vinesh Phogat's Olympic Silver Medal Hopes Revived By CAS Appeal

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat's bid for an Olympic silver medal remains intact after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) accepted her appeal. This appeal follows her disqualification just before the gold medal bout in the women's 50kg wrestling category at the Paris Olympics. Phogat was disqualified for being overweight by just 100 grams during the weigh-in, a minor infraction that not only cost her a chance at gold but also meant she was initially ineligible for any medal.

After her disqualification, Phogat quickly appealed to CAS to overturn the decision. On Friday, CAS confirmed receipt of the appeal and detailed the next steps. Although CAS cannot grant a second weigh-in or reinstate her into the gold medal match, it has agreed to consider whether Phogat might be awarded a joint silver medal. This keeps her hopes of an Olympic podium finish alive as the process continues.

CAS's statement indicated that Phogat's initial request was to nullify the disqualification and allow a new weigh-in before the final. She did not request urgent interim measures, so while the CAS Ad hoc Division is moving swiftly, a final decision cannot be made within an hour. The procedure is ongoing, and Phogat is now seeking an annulment of the disqualification and a shared silver medal.

The matter has been assigned to Hon. Dr. Annabelle Bennett AC SC (AUS), who will hold a hearing with both Phogat and United World Wrestling (UWW) on Friday. A decision is anticipated before the conclusion of the Paris Olympics.