Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has appealed against her Olympic disqualification with the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), sources told IANS. As per the information received, she has demanded a joint silver medal in the 50kg weight category.
“Yes, she has filed the appeal. The verdict is likely to come on August 8 morning. Let’s see what happens then. But chances are zero. They can’t change the rules,” sources told IANS on Wednesday night.
Vinesh lost the chance to fight for the gold medal after she was disqualified for being overweight in the morning weigh-in on Wednesday following her stupendous performance on Tuesday when she stunned the hitherto unbeaten Yui Susaki of Japan in her first bout.
Vinesh made history on Tuesday by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the final at the Olympics. But her redemption story following a disappointing performance in the Tokyo Olympics ended in heartbreak as she was disqualified from the competition as she was found overweight in the second weigh-in on the morning of the final. Vinesh was found 100 grams over the limit for 50 kg and thus ruled out the competition and placed last as per United World Wrestling rules.
She had kept awake and worked hard along with her coach, support staff and Indian contingent’s chief medical officer all night to shed weight that she had gained to replenish the vital fluids lost in the three bouts and get to 50 kg but to no avail and she turned out overweight by just 100 gm.
She was so dehydrated by her efforts that she has to be admitted to the polyclinic in the Games Village for IV drips.