Vinesh Phogat Olympic Disqualification Time-Line: CAS Verdict And How A Billion Dreams Got Crushed

Vinesh Phogat's appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against her disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024 for being 100 gram overweight has been rejected. The wrestler has appealed that she should be given a shared silver medal in the 50kg category because her weight was within the permissible limit, the day when she won three bouts on the trot to qualify for the final. 

Vinesh was the face of a wrestlers' protest last year against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment. Then she faced challenges while qualifying for the Olympics as she had to move from her regular weight category. 

Here's how Paris Olympics journey unfolded for Vinesh Phogat: 

February 2024
Vinesh won gold in the 55kg category at the National Championship. It marked her return to competitive wrestling after over a month.

March 2024
Vinesh competed in the first Olympic trials in two weight categories - 50kg and 53kg - on the same day. She emerged winner in 50kg to enter the Asian wrestling championships and Asian Olympic Games qualifier.

April 2024
Vinesh Phogat won Paris Olympics quota in women's 50kg category as she entered the final of the Asian Olympic qualifier. In wrestling, a quota is earned for the nation and not for the individual athlete. A final trial is supposed to take place to decide on who will represent the country at the Olympics. However, later the WFI said that they would not conduct the final trials and the wrestlers who won the quota would be sent to Paris.

August 6, 2024

Rd of 16: Vinesh stunned defending Olympic champion and four-time World Champion Yui Susaki of Japan 3-2.  Susaki had not lost any of her 82 bouts in her international career but the Japanese top seed hardly had an idea as to what was about to hit her in the opener which she lost 2-3.

Quarter-final: Vinesh quelled the challenge of former European champion and 2018 world championship bronze-medallist Livach 7-5 in the quarterfinal.

Semi-final: Vinesh advanced to the gold medal bout by defeating Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0. 

August 6 night

Vinesh Phogat tries hard to keep her weight within permissible limits. "We found that her post-participation weight was increased more than normal and the coach initiated the normal process of weight cut that he has always employed with Vinesh," Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, Indian contingent's Chief Medial Officer, later said.

"This is something that's worked with her for a long period of time. He felt confident that this would be achieved and over the night we went ahead with the weight cut procedure."  

August 7 morning: Vinesh Phogat is found to be 100 gram overweight than the 50kg limit at the official weigh-in. She is disqualified from the gold medal match. 

August 7 afternoon: The Indian Olympic Association lodges an appeal which is rejected and Vinesh's disqualification stands. 

August 7 night: Vinesh Phogat and IOA appeal to CAS for a joint silver in the 50kg category. 

August 9: CAS issues first statement on the matter:  "the Applicant has confirmed that she seeks the annulment of the Challenged Decision and that she requests to be awarded a (shared) silver medal.

"The matter has been referred to the Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett AC SC (AUS), sitting as a Sole Arbitrator, who will hold a hearing with the parties today. The Sole Arbitrator's decision is expected to be issued before the end of the Olympic Games," the statement concluded.

It is claimed that the verdict will be out by August 10, 9:30PM IST

August 10: In a chaotic turn of events, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) first stated that the verdict will be out on Sunday (August 11) before issuing a clarification to say that the outcome will be known by August 13.

"The ad-hoc division of CAS has extended time for the Sole Arbitrator Hon. Dr Annabelle Bennett in the Vinesh Phogat vs. United World Wrestling & the International Olympic Committee matter to give a decision till 6-00 p.m. on August 13, 2024," the IOA said.

"The reference to August 11 in the earlier communication sent by me was to the time given to all parties to present any additional documents before the Sole Arbitrator."

August 13: The case verdict date got deferred yet again till August 16.

August 14, 2024
Vinesh Phogat's plea for a joint silver medal is dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.