India's campaign in the Paris 2024 Olympics sustained a massive blow on Wednesday as Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics after assuring a silver medal for herself in the 50kg category. The wrestler was found 100gm above the required weight and so her dreams of securing a podium finish were shattered. The Chief Medical Officer of the Indian contingent, Dr. Dinshaw Pudiwal has reflected on what exactly happened with the Indian wrestler.
"Wrestlers usually participate in weight categories less than their natural weight. It gives them an advantage since they are fighting with their stronger opponents. The process of weight cut prior to the weigh-ins in the morning involves calculated restrictions on food and water and besides this, the athletes need to sweat and that sweating is done with sauna and with exercise.
"Now this weight cut has the benefit of putting you into a lighter weight category, but that causes weakness and energy depletion and this is counterproductive to participation. So, thereafter going for some amount of energy reservation with limited water and energy foods is usually preferred after the weigh-in. The nutrition is athlete-specific and Vinesh's nutritionist felt that the usual amount she takes is about 1.5 kilograms of food throughout the day which gives enough energy for the bouts."
Paudiwal also talked about the factor of rebound weight gain after a competition.
"Sometimes there is also a factor of a rebound weight gain following a competition. Now Vinesh had three bouts, and hence to prevent any dehydration, some amount of water had to be given. We found that her post-participation weight was enough for the normal and the coaches initiated the normal process of weight cut that she has always employed with Vinesh," he added.
He also emphasised the point and said that the nutritionist did what worked for her previously and asserted that the nutritionist was confident she will regain her fitness.
"This is something that worked with him for a long time, he felt confident that this could be achieved and over the night we went ahead with the weight cut procedure. However, in the morning we found that despite all our efforts, her weight was 100gm more than required to compete in the 50kg category and hence she was disqualified. We had tried all possible drastic measures throughout the night including cutting off her hair, despite all of this, we couldn't make it to that 50 kg weight category," added Dr. Dinshaw.
"Following this disqualification as a precautionary measure Vinesh was administered some intravenous fluids just to avoid dehydration and typically we get a few blood tests done just to make sure that everything is normal, so this procedure is going on at the local Olympic hospital here. All of Vinesh's parameters during this weightcut were normal and throughout this process, she was perfectly normal. Vinesh just interacted with IOA president PT Usha and mentioned that although she was physically and perfectly normal she is disappointed that this is her third Olympics and she had to be disqualified."
