Vinesh Phogat’s all-night race to make weight cut: Hair chopped, clothes shortened, sauna procedures

• Image Credit: Google

• Aug 7, 2024 | Guriya Khatun

Pardiwala explained the procedure involved in weight-cutting and the reason why wrestlers typically choose to compete in a class that is smaller than their normal weight.

Digital Desk: Vinesh Phogat was the first Indian woman to compete in an Olympic wrestling final, but she was denied the opportunity due to an extra 100 grams. However, Phogat had taken all the extreme steps all night before her fight to lose the extra weight.

Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Contingent in Paris Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala said, "We had tried all the drastic weight-cut measures through the night including cutting her hair and shortening her clothes, despite all of this we could not make that 50Kg weight category."

After Vinesh's third and final bout on Tuesday, Pardiwala revealed that the race against time had begun.

“We found that her post-participation weight was increased more than normal and the coach initiated the normal process of weight cut, that he’s always employed with Vinesh. This is something that’s worked with her for a long period of time. He felt confident that this would be achieved and over the night, we went ahead with the weight-cut procedure. However, in the morning we found that despite all of our efforts, her weight was 100 grams over her 50Kg weight category. Hence, she was disqualified,” Pardiwala said.

Pardiwala also gave an update on Vinesh being admitted in the local Olympic hospital on Wednesday for regulation blood tests and preventing dehydration.

“All of Vinesh’s parameters during the weight cut were normal. Throughout the process, she actually felt perfectly normal. She just interacted with IOA President PT Usha, and she told her that although she is physically and medically perfectly normal, she’s disappointed that this is her third Olympics and that she was disqualified.”

Science behind weight-cut

Pardiwala explained the procedure involved in weight-cutting and the reason why wrestlers typically choose to compete in a class that is smaller than their normal weight.

“Wrestlers usually participate in a weight category less than their natural weight. It gives them an advantage since they are fighting with less stronger opponents. The process of weight cut prior to the weigh-in in the morning involves a calculated restriction of food and water. Besides this, the athlete needs to sweat and that is done through sauna and exercise,” Pardiwala said.

“This weight cut has the benefit of putting you in a lighter category but does cause weakness and energy depletion. And this is counter-productive to participation. So, most wrestlers will thereafter go for some amount of energy restoration with some amount of water and higher energy foods. And these are usually given after the weigh-in,” he added.

The chief medical officer of the Indian contingent also mentioned that the wrestler, who competed in three matches, required some water to prevent dehydration, according to her dietician.