On Monday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued the detailed verdict of Annabelle Bennett, the sole Australian arbitrator who ruled on the appeal filed by India’s 50kg wrestler, Vinesh Phogat. The appeal, submitted on August 14, challenged Vinesh’s disqualification from the finals due to being overweight at the second weigh-in.
Lack of Discretion in Rules
- Annabelle Bennett acknowledged that while the arguments from the Indian side were persuasive, the rules provided no scope for discretion. According to Bennett, the rules are explicit and leave no room for leniency.
- The arbitrator stated, “There is no discretion provided in the Rules, which the Sole Arbitrator is bound to apply.”
Harshness of the Disqualification
- Bennett described the rule that led to Vinesh’s disqualification as “draconian.” She noted that the consequences of failing the second weigh-in seemed excessively harsh, considering there was no illegal or wrongful act by the athlete.
- Bennett suggested that a more equitable solution might have been to eliminate Vinesh without ranking from the round for which she was ineligible, rather than from the entire competition.
Rules on Weigh-In
- The arbitrator emphasized that the rules clearly stipulate weight limits with no tolerance for errors, including factors like the weight of the singlet. The rules are strict and apply uniformly to all participants.
- “The Rules are clear as to the weight limit and are the same for all participants. There is no tolerance provided for,” Bennett explained.
UWW’s Policy on Eligibility
- The verdict detailed that under the United World Wrestling (UWW) rules, a wrestler must be eligible not only at the start of the competition but throughout the entire event. This policy reflects that partial eligibility does not grant any accumulated rights.
- “It is apparent that the Rules reflect a UWW policy that a wrestler must not only be eligible at the beginning of a competition but must also remain eligible for the whole of the competition,” the verdict states.
Article 11 of UWW Rules
- Article 11, which is part of Chapter 3 – Competition Procedure, outlines that wrestlers must attend the weigh-in, and if they fail or miss it, they are eliminated from the competition and ranked last.
- “If an athlete does not attend or fail the weigh-in (the 1st or the 2nd weigh-in), he will be eliminated of the competition and ranked last, without rank,” according to the UWW rules.
Details of Vinesh’s Weigh-In
- Vinesh Phogat was marginally overweight at the second weigh-in, coming in 150 grams over the limit initially and 100 grams over on a repeat weigh-in.
- The referee recorded the failed weigh-in but did not sign the list, leading to some contention. However, Vinesh’s lawyers acknowledged the overweight issue, and the dispute was dropped.
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs):
- What was the primary reason for Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification?
- A) Ineligibility due to a prior injury
- B) Failure to meet the weight limit in the second weigh-in
- C) Violation of competition rules
- D) Misconduct during the competition
- According to the verdict, what is the stance of the CAS arbitrator on the weight limit rules?
- A) Rules are flexible and allow for some leeway
- B) Rules are strict with no tolerance for exceeding the weight limit
- C) Rules can be adjusted based on individual circumstances
- D) Rules are applicable only to initial weigh-ins
- What did Annabelle Bennett suggest as a potentially fairer solution for Vinesh Phogat’s situation?
- A) Allowing a second chance for the weigh-in
- B) Eliminating Vinesh without ranking only from the round she was ineligible for
- C) Granting a shared silver medal
- D) Allowing Vinesh to compete with a weight allowance
- What does Article 11 of the UWW rules state about weigh-in failure?
- A) Wrestlers are given a warning and allowed to retry
- B) Wrestlers who fail the weigh-in are eliminated from the competition and ranked last
- C) Wrestlers are penalized but can continue competing
- D) Wrestlers can appeal against the weigh-in failure