The results you see, the struggles you don’t! It is a common knowledge that wrestler Vinesh Phogat has secured a Paris Olympics berth in the 50kg category, but what exactly went on behind the scenes before her bouts is nothing short of a thriller.
The weight loss plan
Phogat on Monday revealed her struggle to fit into the 50kg category before the Paris Olympics qualifiers in Bishkek, Kazakhstan. Phogat revealed that she spent 30mins at a Sauna set at almost 100 degrees to reduce weight the night before the qualifiers.
”Weight cut was the main issue,” she told The Indian Express. “Match kisi k saath he kara lo, uska darr nahi tha. (Wasn’t scared of my opponents).”
“Our target wasn’t just qualifying for the Olympics. We were thinking about winning a medal, too. There was risk in both categories, but it was worth it in 50. I went by my instincts even though I knew weight cut mein jaan nikal jaegi. (It would be really difficult to go through a weight cut),” she explained.
The Sauna experience
Phogat revealed that she was 700 grams overweight the night before the qualifiers, and it bothered her coach Woller Akos so much that he wanted to cut her hair in desperation.
Despite not eating anything during the day and only consuming 500 ml of water (300 ml during the flight to Bishkek and 200 ml during the training session that evening), the last few grams prove to be the most challenging to shed.
Phogat revealed Akos sought help from a friend’s friend and went into the Sauna with her.
“Coach also stepped into the sauna with me, and started tapping me to generate more heat. He also dipped a branch and leaves in hot water and started slapping me with it to see if that could help,” Phogat said. “But I wasn’t sweating. It has happened before that if I get into a sauna immediately after training, I don’t sweat much. After a while, I told the coach, I was feeling suffocated. My skin was burning but I wasn’t sweating.”
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The final frontier
She lost 300 gms in the Sauna. Although she was still 400 gms overweight, she knew her body shed a little weight while she slept. When she was weighed in the qualifiers the next day, her weight was 100 gms below 50 kg.
Phogat did not have to look back since then, winning her three bouts in less that 6 minutes to ensure her Paris berth.
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