Vinesh Phogat reacts during a bout at the Paris Olympics. (Reuters)
The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to not award Indian 50 kg wrestler Vinesh Phogat a joint silver medal and dismiss her appeal was a decision that was already hinted as the likely outcome by United World Wrestling chief Nenad Lalovic and even International Olympics Committee president Thomas Bach.
In 2017, the international wrestling body changed its competition rules and decided that international events such as the Olympics and World Championships would be contested over two days for each weight category, instead of all bouts in a weight class being competed on the same day, as was the case previously.
While there was commercial appeal in holding wrestling as a two-day format, one of the sporting changes it would was wrestlers weighing in on two separate days. The logic was that if an athlete would have to appear in a certain weight category for two days, their natural body weight would have to be much closer to their class, since cutting weight two days in a row would be a tougher proposition.
This was confirmed by Lalovic at the Paris Olympics after Vinesh Phogat’s suspension was announced. “The wrestlers are losing too much weight and it’s not good for their health. Many have seen their interest at the moment but they don’t see what happens in 20-30 years. We want athletes to compete at their natural weight. That’s the idea. This is when they make the best performances,” Lalovic said.
While Vinesh Phogat missed the weight by 100 grams on the second day, Vinesh Phogat had managed to reduce it after her last match on Day 1 against Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman, from 52.7 kgs to 50.1 kg. The last 100 grams not budging, and the extraordinary effort put to shed it, evoked widespread compassion, but the rules did what they were meant to do.
They were drafted with the wrestlers’ well-being in mind and to rule against it would mean that the original intent would have to be laid aside in favour of sentiment.
Lalovic explained: “I am really so sad and I understand Vinesh, her disappointment… (But) If you allow this 100 grams, then you would be allowed 200 grams. There is no end…”
Bach also noted the human side of the matter when he said, “I have a certain understanding for the wrestler (Vinesh Phogat); it’s clearly a human touch,” during an IOC media conference in Paris. “Now, it’s (appeal) in CAS. We will, at the end, follow the CAS decision. But again, the international (wrestling) federation, they have to apply their interpretation, their rules. This is their responsibility,” he added.
In the aftermath of the CAS ruling, the Indian Olympic Association said it would explore further legal options for Vinesh Phogat.
