Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal for a shared silver medal after she was disqualified from an Olympic final for missing weight has been rejected by the ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Paris, the court said Wednesday. The Indian Olympic Association's President, PT Usha, expressed shock and disappointment at the court's decision, per the AP, with the Times of India quoting the IOA as saying it "firmly believes that the total disqualification of an athlete for such a weight infraction on the second of two days warrants a deeper examination." Phogat was disqualified from the final in the women's 50-kilogram freestyle category after weighing in 100 grams above the weight limit on Aug. 7.
Instead of becoming India's first woman to compete in an Olympic final, she was denied a medal. She appealed, requesting credit for the three wins she earned after weighing in successfully on Aug. 6. The Court of Arbitration for Sport—the highest court in sports—said a judge held a hearing Friday regarding Phogat's case against United World Wrestling and the International Olympic Committee. The court originally said a decision was expected by the end of the Olympics on Sunday, but it granted arbitrator Annabelle Bennett more time, citing "exceptional circumstances," and pushed the deadline for a decision to Tuesday.
And then on Tuesday, the Wrestling Federation of India said the court pushed its deadline back to Friday. Phogat announced Aug. 8 on social media that she would retire from the sport. The post, written in Hindi, translates as: "My courage is broken, I don't have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling, 2001-2024." The situation brought to light concerns about the dangers of weight cutting. The Olympics have only six weight classes, instead of 10 for other international competitions. India's tally at the Paris Olympics remains at six: one silver and five bronze medals.
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