04:28Plucky Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat pulled out all the stops to cut her weight down to the 50KG limit ahead of her gold medal bout, even cutting off all her hair but missed out on her target by a whisker of just 100 grammes on Wednesday.
The Indian Olympic team's Chief Medical Officer, Dinshaw Pardiwala explained that the team had tried its 'best to get that weight down', explaining that Phogat had to lose a 2.7 kg gain within 12 hours of her semi-final win to qualify for the next match.
"The entire team went ahead with this whole process of trying to reduce her weight, putting her in a steam and sauna, making her exercise and whatever was medically possible. We tried our best to try and get that weight down. And when she couldn't sweat anymore, we even had to go to some drastic measures like cutting off her hair," explained Pardiwala.
The medical officer confirmed that Phogat had been in touch with Indian Olympic Association President, P.T. Usha to say that 'physically and medically, I'm okay' after the last-ditch attempt to make the weight, but added that 'undoubtedly, she's disappointed'.
Pardiwala noted that Phogat usually participated in the 53 kg category, "but since that weight category was already taken by another wrestler, she had two options: either she cuts her weight down tremendously and tries to go to the 50 category or she goes the weight up."
The disqualified wrestler decided to join the 50 kg category and to lose weight, she had to dehydrate her body. "As soon as you take water, there's going to be a rebound increase in your in your weight," Pardiwala explained.
"And during the bouts - because she had three really difficult bouts - she did need to have some amount of water because you do want to rehydrate because otherwise, it's going to be medically a problem to participate," he concluded.
Phogat had defeated Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman in the semi-final. Upon disqualification, India's gold medal hopeful was replaced by Team USA's Sarah Hildebrandt. Earlier, Phogat had delivered the upset of the competition by eliminating reigning champion Yui Susaki of Japan.
Phogat took to social media platform X to announce she is retiring from the sport, stating in her post that 'Wrestling won and I lost. My dreams are shattered'. “Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all. I am sorry,” she added.
Try a dip in the Seine? Indian wrestler Phogat loses hair but can't shave down to 50KG target for Olympic gold medal bout
Plucky Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat pulled out all the stops to cut her weight down to the 50KG limit ahead of her gold medal bout, even cutting off all her hair but missed out on her target by a whisker of just 100 grammes on Wednesday.
The Indian Olympic team's Chief Medical Officer, Dinshaw Pardiwala explained that the team had tried its 'best to get that weight down', explaining that Phogat had to lose a 2.7 kg gain within 12 hours of her semi-final win to qualify for the next match.
"The entire team went ahead with this whole process of trying to reduce her weight, putting her in a steam and sauna, making her exercise and whatever was medically possible. We tried our best to try and get that weight down. And when she couldn't sweat anymore, we even had to go to some drastic measures like cutting off her hair," explained Pardiwala.
The medical officer confirmed that Phogat had been in touch with Indian Olympic Association President, P.T. Usha to say that 'physically and medically, I'm okay' after the last-ditch attempt to make the weight, but added that 'undoubtedly, she's disappointed'.
Pardiwala noted that Phogat usually participated in the 53 kg category, "but since that weight category was already taken by another wrestler, she had two options: either she cuts her weight down tremendously and tries to go to the 50 category or she goes the weight up."
The disqualified wrestler decided to join the 50 kg category and to lose weight, she had to dehydrate her body. "As soon as you take water, there's going to be a rebound increase in your in your weight," Pardiwala explained.
"And during the bouts - because she had three really difficult bouts - she did need to have some amount of water because you do want to rehydrate because otherwise, it's going to be medically a problem to participate," he concluded.
Phogat had defeated Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman in the semi-final. Upon disqualification, India's gold medal hopeful was replaced by Team USA's Sarah Hildebrandt. Earlier, Phogat had delivered the upset of the competition by eliminating reigning champion Yui Susaki of Japan.
Phogat took to social media platform X to announce she is retiring from the sport, stating in her post that 'Wrestling won and I lost. My dreams are shattered'. “Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all. I am sorry,” she added.
Plucky Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat pulled out all the stops to cut her weight down to the 50KG limit ahead of her gold medal bout, even cutting off all her hair but missed out on her target by a whisker of just 100 grammes on Wednesday.
The Indian Olympic team's Chief Medical Officer, Dinshaw Pardiwala explained that the team had tried its 'best to get that weight down', explaining that Phogat had to lose a 2.7 kg gain within 12 hours of her semi-final win to qualify for the next match.
"The entire team went ahead with this whole process of trying to reduce her weight, putting her in a steam and sauna, making her exercise and whatever was medically possible. We tried our best to try and get that weight down. And when she couldn't sweat anymore, we even had to go to some drastic measures like cutting off her hair," explained Pardiwala.
The medical officer confirmed that Phogat had been in touch with Indian Olympic Association President, P.T. Usha to say that 'physically and medically, I'm okay' after the last-ditch attempt to make the weight, but added that 'undoubtedly, she's disappointed'.
Pardiwala noted that Phogat usually participated in the 53 kg category, "but since that weight category was already taken by another wrestler, she had two options: either she cuts her weight down tremendously and tries to go to the 50 category or she goes the weight up."
The disqualified wrestler decided to join the 50 kg category and to lose weight, she had to dehydrate her body. "As soon as you take water, there's going to be a rebound increase in your in your weight," Pardiwala explained.
"And during the bouts - because she had three really difficult bouts - she did need to have some amount of water because you do want to rehydrate because otherwise, it's going to be medically a problem to participate," he concluded.
Phogat had defeated Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman in the semi-final. Upon disqualification, India's gold medal hopeful was replaced by Team USA's Sarah Hildebrandt. Earlier, Phogat had delivered the upset of the competition by eliminating reigning champion Yui Susaki of Japan.
Phogat took to social media platform X to announce she is retiring from the sport, stating in her post that 'Wrestling won and I lost. My dreams are shattered'. “Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all. I am sorry,” she added.