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CAS Verdict On Vinesh Phogat's Joint Silver Case Deferred Till August 16

Vinesh Phogat had approached the Court of Arbitration of Sports following her disqualification, asking that she be awarded a shared silver medal. She argued that she had qualified for the final while weighing less than the 50kg limit, and therefore deserved to share the silver medal

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Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat reached the women's 50kg freestyle final at the Paris Olympics. Photo: WFI
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The Court of Arbitration of Sports' (CAS) verdict on Vinesh Phogat's shared silver medal case has been deferred again, this time till August 16. (Medal Table | Full Coverage | More Sports News)

While deferring the verdict till August 16, 9:30pm IST, a statement from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said: "By application of Article 18 of the CAS Arbitration Rules for the Olympic Games, the President of the CAS Ad Hoc Division extends the time-limit for the Panel to give a decision until 16 August 2024 at 18h00 (Paris time)."

The Article 18 of the CAS arbitration rules for the Olympic Games says the following regarding time limit: "The Panel shall give a decision within 24 hours of the lodging of the application. In exceptional cases, this time limit may be extended by the President of the ad hoc Division if circumstances so require."

This is the third time that the decision has been postponed. It was initially slated for August 11 and was then advanced to August 13, before the latest deferment.

Why Did Vinesh Phogat Appeal To CAS?

It was only a week ago that Vinesh Phogat etched her name in Indian sporting history as the country's first woman wrestler to enter an Olympic final.

This happiness was short-lived as Vinesh was jolted out of the competition due to being 100 grams overweight at the mandatory morning weigh-in.

The grappler later lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Phogat approached the CAS following her disqualification, asking that she be awarded a shared silver medal. She argued that she had qualified for the final while weighing less than the 50kg limit, and therefore deserved to share the silver medal.

The 29-year-old, backed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). She sought a joint silver medal with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who replaced Vinesh in the final after the Indian's disqualification.

Vinesh Phogat And Her Weight Class

For the previous two Olympics, Phogat had competed in the 53kg category, her preferred weight class.

However, for Paris 2024, Antim Panghal secured the Olympic quota for this category. And WFI cancelled the trials, forcing Phogat to opt for the 50kg category.