Ara Abrahamian's medal rests on the mat in Beijing after the Swedish wrestler discarded it and stormed off. (Valery Hache/AFP/Getty Images)

Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian, who threw his bronze medal away in protest at the 2008 Olympics, won't be able to get it back, the highest tribunal in sport ruled Monday.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said the International Olympic Committee was right when it took Abrahamian's medal away. He left it on the floor after the medal ceremony, in protest over a penalty call.

Afterwards, the IOC stripped Abrahamian of the bronze medal and expelled him from the Games, saying he violated the Olympic charter and disrespected the other medallists.

"The decision of the IOC executive board was not disproportionate in the circumstances," the CAS said in a statement.

In addition to being suspended by the IOC, Abrahamian was banned for two years and fined by the international wrestling federation (FILA).

Abrahamian was upset at the officiating in his semifinal match at the Beijing Olympics against the eventual gold medallist, Andrea Minguzzi of Italy. It was a tight 3-2 decision and Abrahamian had to be restrained by his coaches from going after the referee after the match.

Abrahamian took the bronze medal from around his neck during the awards ceremony, stepped off the podium and dropped it on the mat before walking off.

"I don't care about this medal. I wanted gold," he said at the time.

The CAS was founded in 1984 by then-IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch. All Olympic federations, except one, plus a large number of national federations, recognize CAS jurisdiction.

With files from the Associated Press