Vinesh Phogat’s Silver Medal Appeal Hearing Postponed: CAS Final Verdict To Be Announced On August 13

CAS’s ad-hoc division, which is handling disputes during the Games, extended the deadline for Sole Arbitrator Hon. Dr. Annabelle Bennett to make a decision until 6:00 p.m. on August 13, 2024. Initially, CAS had planned to announce the verdict by 9:30 pm IST on August 10, but the decision was postponed. It was later pushed to August 11, and now CAS has requested additional documents to help with the decision.

The earlier communication mentioning August 11 was to give all parties time to submit extra documents, not for the final decision, as stated by CAS.

On Friday, CAS confirmed that the verdict would be delivered before the end of the Olympics, acknowledging that the hearing was completed. This hearing was part of the special ad-hoc division set up to resolve disputes during the Games.

Vinesh’s appeal came after she was disqualified from competing in the final against gold medalist Sarah Ann Hildebrandt from the USA due to being 100 grams overweight. The United World Wrestling (UWW) had removed her from the competition as per the rules.

Vinesh’s appeal requests that she be awarded a joint silver medal with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who had lost to her in the semifinals. Vinesh’s case was represented by senior advocates Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) expressed hope for a positive outcome. IOA President PT Usha praised the legal team and reiterated the organization’s unwavering support for Vinesh, regardless of the final decision.

The ad-hoc division had previously indicated that a decision would be made by the end of the Games on Sunday. Vinesh, facing the disappointment of her disqualification, announced her retirement from wrestling, stating she no longer had the strength to continue.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach commented on the situation, expressing sympathy for Vinesh but questioning where to draw the line on such concessions. He pointed out the difficulty of making decisions based on minor differences, such as 100 grams, and wondered how such considerations would apply to sports with even smaller margins, like track events.

The Court of Arbitration for Sports will announce its final verdict on this matter on Tuesday 13 August. This ruling will determine whether Phogat’s disqualification will be upheld or if she will be awarded the silver medal she is contending for.