Paris. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach on Friday said he has “sympathy” for Vinesh Phogat, who is challenging her disqualification from the Olympic final at the tribunal for sports, but also said where one would draw the line after making small concessions in certain situations. 29-year-old Vinesh was disqualified on Wednesday for being 100 grams overweight ahead of the 50kg women’s wrestling gold medal match. She then appealed against her disqualification at CAS, demanding that she be jointly awarded the silver medal before retiring from the sport. Bach said, “I have sympathy for that wrestler; this is clearly a human touch.”
“Now, it (the appeal) is in CAS. We will ultimately follow the CAS decision but again, the International (Wrestling) Federation has to apply its own interpretation, its own rules. It is their responsibility,” he said.
Asked if two silver medals could be awarded in one weight class, Bach said: “No, if you are asking in a general way like that but allow me to comment on this individual case. There the rules of the international federation must be followed and the international federation, United World Wrestling (UWW), was making that decision.”
Bach said 100 grams more weight might not seem like much to a layman, but asked whether such an exemption would apply to track events, where results are sometimes decided by thousandths of a second.
“Looking at the federation or anybody who takes a decision like that, when and where do you make the cuts? Do you say with 100 grams, we give it but with 102 (grams), we don’t give it?
Bach added, “Then what do you do in sports where you have a difference of a thousandth of a second (in track events). Do you still apply this kind of deliberation?”
Vinesh and her support staff took every possible measure to bring her weight within the prescribed limit. These measures included cutting her hair, keeping her completely away from food or liquids and exercising all night to lose the excess weight. The extreme measures led to dehydration and she had to be on IV drip at the polyclinic in the Khelgaon. Announcing her retirement from wrestling, Vinesh said that she did not have the strength left to continue further.
Tags: 2024 paris olympics, Vinesh Phogat
FIRST PUBLISHED : August 10, 2024, 24:13 IST
