IOC President Thomas Bach announced his decision on Vinesh Phogat’s appeal, told whether she should get the silver medal or not!
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has given his opinion on Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from Paris Olympics appeal. He has ‘sympathy’ for Vinesh Phogat, who challenged her decision to disqualify her from the Olympic final in the Sports Arbitration, but he also said where would one draw the line after giving small concessions in some situations. 29-year-old Vinesh was disqualified on Wednesday for being 100 grams overweight before the 50 kg women’s wrestling gold medal match. After this, she appealed against her disqualification in CAS, demanding that she be given a joint silver medal before retiring from the sport. Bach said during the IOC press conference here, ‘I have sympathy for that wrestler; it is clearly a human touch.
He said, ‘Now, it (appeal) is in CAS. We will ultimately follow the decision of CAS. But again, the International (Wrestling) Federation has to apply its own interpretation, its own rules. That is their responsibility,” . Asked if two silver medals could be awarded in one weight class, Bach said, “No, if you are asking in such a general way. But allow me to comment on this individual case. International federation rules should be followed and the international federation, United World Wrestling (UWW), was taking this decision.’
Bak said 100 grams of excess weight may not seem like much to a common man, but asked if such a relaxation would apply to track events, where results are sometimes decided by thousandths of a second. “Given the federation or anyone taking such a decision, when and where do you make a deduction? Do you say with 100 grams, we give it but with 102 (grams), we don’t give it? ‘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 such deliberations?’.
Vinesh and her support staff took all possible measures to bring her weight within the prescribed limit. These measures included cutting her hair, keeping her completely away from food or liquids and working out all night to lose the excess weight. She eventually had to be on an IV drip at the polyclinic in the Khelgaon due to dehydration caused by the measures. Announcing her retirement from wrestling, Vinesh said she did not have the strength left to continue.
