Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat just barely failed to make weight ahead of what was set to be her Olympic finals match on Wednesday against American wrestler Sarah Hildebrandt. Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, whom Phogat beat in the semifinal the day before, took Phogat’s place in the 50-kilogram final, and Hildebrandt won the gold — the second for U.S. women wrestlers in as many days.
While it was a great feat for Hildebrandt and the U.S. team, it was devastating for Phogat and her many supporters. As NBC News reported, she’s known for her “impassioned activism against sexual harassment in her sport, including making major allegations against the former president of the Wrestling Federation of India.” Phogat then announced her retirement, writing on social media (in a translation from Hindi by Reuters) that her “dreams are shattered. I don’t have any more strength.”
माँ कुश्ती मेरे से जीत गई मैं हार गई माफ़ करना आपका सपना मेरी हिम्मत सब टूट चुके इससे ज़्यादा ताक़त नहीं रही अब।
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) August 7, 2024
अलविदा कुश्ती 2001-2024 🙏
आप सबकी हमेशा ऋणी रहूँगी माफी 🙏🙏
Now, you might be wondering: Why are you reading this dramatic wrestling story on a legal blog?
That’s because the story might not be over: It’s now a legal one of sorts. Phogat has pleaded her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, an institution headquartered in Switzerland with an ad hoc division set up in Paris for the games. On Friday, the court noted that Phogat had filed an application with the tribunal, challenging United World Wrestling’s decision to replace her in the gold medal match. She wants to be awarded a (shared) silver medal.








