Here's What Vinesh Phogat had to Say in its Initial Response to CAS

Vinesh Phogat's quest for an Olympic medal came to an end in devastating circumstances when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed her request for a joint silver. While the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has stated that it is considering other alternatives, the discharge closes a major chapter in an incident that has captivated the country and the wrestling world as a whole.

Vinesh has already released her initial reaction to the rejection of her petition. The 29-year-old three-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist took to Instagram to share a snapshot of herself lying on the mat, hands on her head. She did not include a caption for the photo. Although the photo appears to show her in anguish, it is really at the pinnacle of her campaign at the Paris Olympics, when she upset reigning champion Yui Sasaki of Japan in her women's 50kg wrestling round of 16 bout.

It was Sasaki's first loss in an international match during her senior career. Vinesh then defeated Oksana Livach of Ukraine, a previous World Championship bronze medalist, in the quarterfinals and Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman in the semi-finals to become the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic wrestling final. However, Vinesh was then unexpectedly disqualified from the gold medal match after being discovered to have missed her weight by 100gm the next morning.

Vinesh's incredible run on the first day sparked responses from all across the wrestling world, and her disqualification sent even more shockwaves. Vinesh then to the CAS, requesting a shared silver medal with whoever lost the gold medal match. Guzman, who had lost to Vinesh in the semi-finals, advanced to the final and was defeated by Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States.

The IOA expressed concern in an official statement about the judgment of the Sole Arbitrator at CAS, who affirmed the finding in favour of United World Wrestling (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"The marginal discrepancy of a 100 grams and the resultant consequences has profound impact, not only in terms of Vinesh's career but also raises serious questions about ambiguous rules and their interpretation," the International Olympic Committee (IOA) stated.

"The IOA is convinced that the outright disqualification of an athlete for such a weight transgression on the second of two days requires further investigation. Our legal counsel had brought this up in their presentations before the Sole Arbitrator.

"The Vinesh case shows the severe and, perhaps, harsh standards that fail to account for the physiological and psychological stressors that athletes, particularly female athletes, face. It serves as a sharp reminder of the need for more egalitarian and acceptable criteria that promote athletes' well-being," it said.