Vinesh had secured her place in the final with impressive victories, including a win over Japan’s renowned wrestler Yui Susaki.However, during the mandatory morning weigh-in, she was found to be 100gm over the allowed limit, resulting in her disqualification.
Devastated by the unexpected turn of events, Vinesh filed an appeal with the CAS last Wednesday, requesting a joint silver medal with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who had been defeated by Vinesh but was subsequently elevated to the final due to the Indian’s disqualification.
The day following her heartbreaking disqualification, Vinesh announced her retirement from wrestling, stating that she lacked the strength to continue. This announcement came as sporting icons from around the world rallied behind the 29-year-old wrestler, who was competing in her third Olympic Games.
Prior to her journey to Paris, Vinesh had been at the forefront of a protest alongside fellow wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik against the former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faced allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation from the renowned trio and other wrestlers.
Numerous sports personalities expressed their support for Vinesh, including renowned Japanese Olympic champion Rei Higuchi, who experienced a similar situation in the Tokyo Olympics before claiming gold in Paris, and legendary American freestyle wrestler Jordan Burroughs, who urged the IOC to award Vinesh a silver medal.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who also believed Vinesh deserved at least a silver, champion shooter Abhinav Bindra, two-time Olympic medallist and superstar javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, and celebrated hockey player PR Sreejesh all voiced their support for Vinesh, reminding the nation of her contributions to the sport.
On the day before the verdict, Vijender Singh, a bronze medallist boxer from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, also expressed his support for Vinesh.
“Bhan @Phogat_Vinesh aap ke sath pehle bhi the ab bhi hai or aage bhi rahenge (Sister, I was with you earlier, with you now, and will be with you in future too),” Vijender tweeted.
Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), expressed his understanding of Vinesh’s predicament. However, he raised concerns about the potential consequences of granting minor exceptions in specific cases. Bach questioned, Where would one draw the line after allowing small concessions in certain situations?
On the other hand, Nenad Lalovic, the chief of United World Wrestling (UWW), maintained a skeptical stance regarding any potential alterations to the outcomes. He emphasized that they were strictly adhering to the established regulations. Lalovic’s stance suggested that a revision of the results was unlikely, as the organization was bound by the rules in place.
“I must say, I have a certain understanding for the wrestler; it’s clearly a human touch,” Bach had said on Friday.
“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.”
Lalovic added, “I am so sorry for what happened, but no matter the size of your country, athletes are athletes. This weigh-in was public, everyone saw what happened. How can we allow someone to compete when we all saw what happened.
“We don’t have any other choice but to follow our rules,” Lalovic had said.
The Paris Olympics came to a close on Sunday with a grand ceremony held at the Stade de France, the primary stadium for track and field competitions throughout the event.
In a separate development, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ad-hoc division, a special unit established to handle disputes arising during the Games, had granted Vinesh’s appeal challenging her removal from the competition on Friday.
Who are representing Vinesh
Vinesh’s legal team, consisting of French lawyers Joelle Monlouis, Estelle Ivanova, Habbine Estelle Kim, and Charles Amson, has been instrumental in assisting her and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) with the application process.
The Paris Bar has provided these lawyers, who are handling the case on a pro bono basis.
To further strengthen her case, Vinesh has also enlisted the help of senior counsels Harish Salve and Vidushpat Singhania. Salve, who served as the Solicitor General of India from 1999 to 2003, brings a wealth of experience to the table. He notably represented India before the International Court of Justice in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case.
Should the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rule in Vinesh’s favor, she will be awarded a joint-silver medal in the women’s 50kg freestyle category, recognising her outstanding performance and the merits of her case.