Vinesh Phogat's explanation for weight gain at Paris Olympics revealed in court

The entire nation of India eagerly anticipates the Court of Arbitration (CAS) verdict regarding wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal for a joint silver medal. Vinesh, who was disqualified before her final match in the Women's Freestyle 50kg wrestling event, exceeded the weight limit by 100 grams. As the legal proceedings unfold before the CAS, Vinesh has cited the demanding schedule and the distance between the Athletes' Village and the competition arena as reasons for her inability to meet the weight requirement.

As reported by the Indian Express, Phogat's legal representative emphasized the significant distance between the Champ de Mars Arena, where the wrestling competition took place, and the Athletes' Village as a contributing factor to her weight issue during the scheduled weigh-in. The counsel also argued that the tight schedule between matches did not allow Vinesh enough time to reduce her weight, which had exceeded 52.7 kg after the first day of competition.

Furthermore, the counsel contended that the additional 100g of weight on the second morning did not provide Vinesh with any competitive advantage.

'The excess of 100g is extremely negligible (representing around 0.1 to 0.2 percent of the athlete's weight) and can easily be caused by the bloating of a human body during summer weather, as the heat makes the human body retain more water, scientifically for survival purposes. It can also be due to muscle mass increase as the athlete competed three times on the same day. It can also be caused by the food consumption of the athlete after the competitions to sustain her health and integrity for the demanding competitions," Phogat's counsel asserted, as per the paper

There has been a debate regarding the implementation of the principle of proportionality.

'There would be a manifest disproportion between the level of excess (which excludes any attempt at fraud or manipulation of the athlete) and the irreversible consequences that would result from her non-participation in the finals in addition to the deprivation of her silver medal that was acquired by hard work,' the report stated.

Vinesh's counsel emphasized the importance of prioritizing the health of the athletes above all other factors.

Also read| Amit Rohidas finally breaks silence on red-card incident at Paris Olympics 2024