Vinesh Phogat had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for at least a silver medal after being disqualified before the finals of the women's 50 kg category for being 100 grams overweight.

New Delhi: Rejecting Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal against disqualification, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled that athletes must ensure they stay below their weight limit and no exceptions can be made under any circumstances. Paris Olympics 2024 Final.

An ad-hoc division of CAS had on August 14 rejected her appeal against her disqualification from the finals for being 100gm overweight, a decision that drew strong reactions from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The CAS on Monday published a detailed decision giving reasons why Vinesh's appeal was dismissed.

“The problem for athletes is that the rules are clear about weight limits and are the same for all participants. No tolerance is provided for this — it is an upper limit. It doesn't even weigh a single. It is obviously up to the player to ensure that they stay below that limit,” CAS said.

“There is no dispute that the applicant was above the weight limit. She gave the above evidence clearly and directly during the hearing. Her case is that the excess amount is 100g and a tolerance should be applied as this is slightly high and is explainable for reasons such as drinking water and water retention, especially in the premenstrual period.

Vinesh, 29, was disqualified in the women's 50kg freestyle final in the morning. Her appeal was decided after three adjournments. In her appeal, Vinesh demanded that she be awarded a joint silver medal with Cuban wrestler Yusnelis Guzman Lopez, who lost to her in the semifinals but was promoted to the summit after the Indian's disqualification. This gold was claimed by American Sarah Ann Hildebrand.