Wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified after the official weigh-in on Wednesday morning, ahead of her scheduled gold medal bout in the evening. While she had cleared the weigh-in on Tuesday, Vinesh was found to be “a few grams over 50 kg” on Wednesday morning’s weigh-in. She was reportedly 2 kilos overweight on Tuesday night — weight she tried her best to shed overnight but couldn’t.
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat Disqualified
Why In News
- Wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified after the official weigh-in on Wednesday morning, ahead of her scheduled gold medal bout in the evening. While she had cleared the weigh-in on Tuesday, Vinesh was found to be “a few grams over 50 kg” on Wednesday morning’s weigh-in. She was reportedly 2 kilos overweight on Tuesday night — weight she tried her best to shed overnight but couldn’t.
- The 29-year-old wrestler, who became the first Indian female to reach an Olympic final, was one bout away from a historic gold after putting up stunning performances on the way to the final. However, she was disqualified after the mandatory morning weigh-in on Tuesday showed her being overweight by 100 grams.
Why Does One’s Weight Matter In Wrestling
- Combat sports — wrestling, boxing, judo, mixed martial arts (MMA), etc. — are organised according to weight classes. This is to facilitate fair and competitive matches. Fighters of similar weight (and thus, size) are more likely to have similar physical attributes, making for a more even playing field. Without weight classes, larger and bulkier athletes would have a natural advantage over smaller ones, even if they are not as technically gifted.
What Are Weigh Ins
- Athletes in a particular weight class (say 50 kg) have to weigh equal to, or less than, the stipulated weight. However, one’s weight is never static. It constantly fluctuates within a certain range depending on a number of factors, from how much you eat and drink, to how much you sweat, and other bodily functions.
- Moreover, it is impractical to constantly monitor an athlete’s weight throughout a competition. Thus, combat sports use a system of weigh-ins. There are designated times before (and in some competitions, after) when an athlete has to be weighed, and meet the requirements of their weight class.
- According to United World Wrestling’s (UWW) Olympics weigh-in rules, wrestlers are weighed on the morning of their competition, while wearing their singlet. Since the Olympics competition goes on for two days, there are two weigh-ins — there is a 30 minute period on Day 1, and a 15 minute period on Day 2.
Court of Arbitration for Sports
- Phogat has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) for permission to fight for gold. If it is granted, she has requested to be awarded a joint silver medal. The interim ruling by CAS is expected on Thursday.
- CAS was established in 1984 and is an international body for settling disputes related to sport through arbitration.
- The CAS headquarters are located in Switzerland and its courts are in New York, Sydney and Lausanne. Temporary courts are also established in current Olympic host cities.
