Vinesh Phogat Paris Olympics Disqualification: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal against her disqualification from the Paris Olympics women's 50kg freestyle category is expected to be decided on Tuesday

Phogat was disqualified for being 100 grams over the weight limit before her gold medal match and has petitioned the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) to be awarded a joint silver medal.

Although according to some reports in media, United World Wrestling (UWW) rules suggest she is ineligible for a medal, a loophole may still allow her to receive a silver medal.

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Vinesh's dreams of winning gold at the Paris Olympics 2024 were shattered when she was disqualified from the 50kg freestyle wrestling final due to a technicality.

The shocking decision sparked widespread outrage in India, but Phogat refused to give up, appealing the result at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

As per a report in NDTV, as the verdict is expected on Tuesday, it's emerged that the United World Wrestling (UWW) is challenging her appeal, citing strict adherence to rules, potentially dashing Phogat's hopes of claiming a medal.

Despite the United World Wrestling (UWW) opposing Vinesh Phogat's appeal, there are still potential loopholes in the rulebook that she could utilize to her advantage.

However, according to Revsportz, the UWW argues that the 100-gram weight margin by which Vinesh missed the weigh-in cutoff is non-negotiable, and rules don't permit exceptions. This suggests that the UWW is unlikely to grant Vinesh a silver medal, but the appeal's outcome is still pending, and the loopholes may yet be leveraged to challenge this stance.

As per United World Wrestling (UWW) rules, the athlete who loses to the finalist is eligible for the repechage. However, in the 50kg freestyle wrestling final, Vinesh Phogat's disqualification due to a failed weigh-in means she is not technically considered the finalist, despite reaching the gold medal match. Consequently, Yui Susaki of Japan was allowed to compete in the repechage for the bronze medal.

The 50kg freestyle wrestling final was contested between Yusneylys Guzman of Cuba and Sarah Hildebrandt of the USA. However, a discrepancy arose when Yui Susaki of Japan was permitted to participate in the repechage round, despite Vinesh Phogat's disqualification. According to the rules, Susaki shouldn't have been eligible for the repechage since Vinesh was technically placed last and disqualified before the medal rounds. The United World Wrestling (UWW) allowed Susaki's participation, seemingly deviating from their own rules, which has raised questions and potentially opened a loophole for Vinesh's appeal.

When is the hearing?

The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) is expected to deliver its verdict on Vinesh Phogat's appeal against her disqualification from the Paris Olympics today, August 13. The hearing, which was postponed on Saturday, will take place today at 9:30pm IST, with senior advocate Harish Salve defending the Indian wrestler.