'Rules are rules': World wrestling body dismisses India's appeal on Vinesh Phogat's Paris Olympics disqualification

Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from Paris Olympics after she failed to make the weight cut

Vinesh Phogat endured a major setback at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Wednesday as she was disqualified from competing further at the competition. The decision came after Vinesh failed to meet her weight cut and was overweight by 100 grams on the morning of her gold medal bout against USA's Sarah Hildebrandt.

Former India sprinter PT Usha, who is the president of Indian Olympic Association (IOA), also met Vinesh at the Olympic Village polyclinic. After the meeting Usha along with Dr Dinshaw Paudiwala, the chief medical officer of the Indian contingent, released a video earlier in the morning explaining the situation. She also informed that the Wrestling Federation of India have appealed to the United World Wrestling (UWW) to consider the decision.

Also Read | Rigorous skipping, hair cut, and drawing out blood: Vinesh Phogat put body on the line to make the weight cut

Nenad Lalovic – the head of UWW, spoke to Indian reporters in Paris earlier in the day, confirming Vinesh won't be given a consideration and pointed "rules are rules."

“I’m so sad that what happened to her (Vinesh Phogat). She had overweight, a very small one but the rules are rules. All the athletes are there and it’s impossible to let someone compete who doesn’t make the weight,” said Lalovic.

On being told that Vinesh had won fair and square in her first three bouts and if she can be granted some relaxation to compete in the medal match, the UWW head said: "Impossible. Everybody who goes (to next round) know they have a second weigh-in the next day. I don’t see anything that can be done.”

Also Read: PT Usha assures complete support to Vinesh Phogat after Olympic disqualification, informs WFI filed appeal

He also confirmed that the strict weigh-in rules won't be reviewed in order to avoid such instances in future. “No. I believe that we should be more strict on that. Because we have a problem that wrestlers are losing too much weight. And it’s not good for their health. Many see their interest at the moment but they don’t see what happened to those people in 20-30 years.

“We want athletes to complete in their natural way, that’s the idea. And this is when they make the best performance. Unfortunately it’s a second case here. We had the Italian girl wrestler (Emanuela Liuzzi) the previous day, who didn’t make the way and she didn’t compete.

On being pointed that Liuzzi had to exit in the preliminary round and not in the medal round, Lalovic explained: “No difference. The weigh-in it’s public, it’s recorded and everybody can see. What can I do? I’m really so sad. I understand the winners very disappointment.”