PARIS (AP) — Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s appeal for a shared silver medal after she was disqualified from an Olympic final for missing weight could come as late as Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said Saturday.
Sports’ highest court originally said the decision was expected to be made by the end of the Olympics, but CAS has granted sole arbitrator Annabelle Bennett more time. The court said the time limit can be extended “in exceptional circumstances.”
The closing ceremony is Sunday.
Phogat was disqualified after weighing in at 100 grams above the weight limit on Wednesday. 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 Tuesday. The court said a judge in Paris held a hearing Friday in her case against United World Wrestling and the International Olympic Committee.
Phogat started Tuesday by defeating four-time world and defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan. She then won her quarterfinal match against Oksana Livach of Ukraine 7-5 and her semifinal against Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba 5-0 to seemingly earn a spot in Wednesday night’s championship match.
Guzman Lopez replaced Phogat in the final, and American Sarah Hildebrandt defeated Guzman Lopez 3-0 to win the gold medal.
Phogat announced Thursday 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.”
___
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
