By It was August 6th, 2024, and all of India was keenly waiting and almost celebrating for the nation’s first silver medal in women’s wrestling at the Paris Olympics. Vinesh Phogat, the niece of renowned freestyle wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, had achieved a historic feat by defeating Japan’s undefeated wrestler, Yui Susaki, to win the first-ever women’s wrestling silver medal in Indian history. However, the celebration was short-lived as Vinesh Phogat soon found herself at the centre of a controversy after missing weight by a mere 100 grams. This controversy has caused considerable distress among Indians, leaving many wondering: How could she miss weight? What exactly is weight cutting, and how did her coaching staff allow this to happen? Let’s dive deeper.
Before the controversy, Vinesh Phogat’s Olympic journey was unfolding as planned, with her winning bouts convincingly. In the semifinal, she defeated Cuban wrestler Yusneylys Guzmán in dominant fashion. However, due to health issues, her Olympic dream came to a halt when she failed to make weight. Her coaching staff and IOA President, PT Usha, revealed that she had been trying to make weight throughout the night but couldn’t succeed due to medical reasons. In short, a weight cut cost India its only silver medal in the 2024 Olympics. But what is weight cutting, and how does it work?
What Is Weight Cutting?
To understand the reason behind Vinesh Phogat’s weight miss, we first need to grasp what weight cutting entails. In martial arts or combat sports like wrestling, Judo, Taekwondo, Karate, Boxing, and mixed martial arts, athletes compete in specific weight classes, such as 61 kg, 66 kg, 71 kg, and more.
Often, athletes aim to compete in a lower weight class to gain an advantage over their opponents. Take Vinesh Phogat, for example. Her natural weight class is 53 kg, but for the Olympics, she competed in the 50 kg category. To reach this weight, she would have undergone a process of depleting water from her body, known as weight cutting. This involves excessive sweating and refraining from eating or drinking anything for up to 24 hours before weigh-ins.
Once the weigh-ins are completed, athletes typically rehydrate and eat, allowing their weight to return to its pre-cut number. For Vinesh Phogat, her weight would have been 50 kg at the time of the semifinal weigh-ins, but as soon as they were over, she would have consumed water and food to return to her normal weight. This gave her a weight advantage in the match.
Also Read: 5 Indian-Origin Athletes Representing Other Countries in Paris Olympic
This practice is not uncommon; in fact, it’s widespread in combat sports. However, it comes with significant downsides. The exhaustion from the weight cut can hinder an athlete’s performance, and in severe cases, it can lead to hospitalisation. This has happened before, most notably in 2017, when MMA and UFC superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov was hospitalised due to excessive dehydration during a weight cut. Unfortunately, a similar fate befell Vinesh Phogat. After being disqualified, the Indian Olympic contingent informed the media that Vinesh had to be hospitalised due to acute dehydration.
Now, after this upsetting experience, Vinesh Phogat has announced retirement from wrestling. She did her best to put her country on the top pedestal in the world’s most prestigious sporting event, but the stars weren’t aligned, and she failed in the most haunting way ever. In these tough times, we hope Vinesh Phogat bounces back and uses her experience to coach new and up-and-coming wrestlers of India, just like her uncle did. SportsnScoop wished Vinesh Phogat all the very best for her future endeavours and a healthy life ahead.
