Tokyo Olympics: Estelle Mossely's rant on boxing arbitration

INTERVIEW

"I find it so unfair for athletes," says Estelle Mossely.

On Sunday, French boxer Mourad Aliev was disqualified in the over 91 kg quarterfinals at the Tokyo Olympics, following a referee error while leading the fight.

On the night of Monday to Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed his elimination.

Estelle Mossely, Olympic boxing champion under 60 kg in Rio in 2016, reacted strongly to this decision in the program

Wednesday on Europe 1.

"There is a real problem in this sport"

Sunday, the boxing match of over 91 kg in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics is stopped by the referee. The Briton Frazer Clark, opponent of Mourad Aliev, is bleeding at the level of the left brow bone twice. After the second treatment, the referee decides to disqualify the French. After the officialization of the result by the announcer, the Frenchman makes the sign "no" with his fingers in front of the cameras, and remains seated on the edge of the ring for several minutes, refusing to move. The French ensure, for his part, that the injuries were caused with his fists.

"They recognize that they made a mistake but as it is written they cannot go back on the decision", explains Mourad Aliev, at the end of the fight.

An argument confirmed by the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"According to the constant jurisprudence of the CAS, the decisions taken on the competition area are not reversed, except in very rare circumstances", specifies the CAS.

"There is a real problem in this sport at this level," said Estelle Mossely on Europe 1. "It's cruel because the training is hard. It's so many years of training, of suffering, sacrifices, ”she continues.

"Unfortunately things stay, the system stays"

For the Olympic champion, "there is real groundwork to be done at the level of the bodies of the International Federation".

"Unfortunately, things remain. The system remains. We really have to take concrete action and penalize things that are not normal," she explains.

Estelle Mossely now intends to use her champion status to shake things up.

"If I have the opportunity to make myself heard, and I think I would have it, I would do so in France and internationally," she says.

And why not set up, as in judo, video assistance for refereeing?

This is one of the avenues mentioned for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The French National Olympic and Sports Committee and the federation have already assured that they will support its establishment.