After a dramatic exit at the Paris Olympics, Indian wrestler Vinesh Vinesh also suffered a defeat at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne. CAS rejected the 29-year-old's appeal against her disqualification by the UWW World Wrestling Federation and her bid for a joint silver medal. Vinesh was the first Indian wrestler to reach an Olympic final. According to the Indian team, at the weigh-in on the morning of the second day of the competition, she weighed 100 grams more than the permitted 50 kilograms and was subsequently disqualified.
Retirement as a wrestler
Vinesh tried her best to push the limits and even cut her hair to do so. She was later taken to hospital for dehydration. Her opponent in the semifinals, Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, took her place in the final, losing and taking silver. The Indian delegation lodged a protest with the World Wrestling Federation, but was unsuccessful. With her gold dreams shattered, Vinesh announced her retirement from competitive sports. “The fight won, I lost,” she wrote on the X platform. “Your dreams and my courage shattered. I no longer have the strength to continue.”
sn/sw (dpa/sid)
