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Vinesh Phogat was not able to believe her fate as she was just disqualified from the Olympics, and that too for just 100 grams. What is 100 grams in comparison to our body? Maybe not much, but in the Olympics, a threaded difference of these grams can make the most significant transformation in a sportsperson's whole life. She did what she could do to fit in the set standard, but it was only a difference of 100 grams that stopped her from reaching the final game. Her natural body weight is usually around 55-56 kgs, and she went through some complicated steps to reduce the weight, but being 100 grams heavier, she was not able to be in her final challenge. Vinesh starved as long as she could and tried her very best not to be heavier than she was supposed to be on weigh-in scales. But she could not manage it, and the ending was unfortunate. It is so sad that she announced her retirement from the sport just a few days later.
This is how strict the weight category of the Olympics is, and the time required to maintain this criterion could be more proper in terms of one's health condition.
Many of us dream of becoming thin or heavier within just a week and watch random YouTube videos to achieve this. But inside our hearts, we know that it is not feasible, and we make peace with it. But some people are making it possible in their daily lives and also earning their own respective goals at the end of the journey.
We are talking about the athletes who participate in competitions at the Olympics. As there are many categories for various sports in this competition, people have to fit in specific standards even to participate. The usual weight category sports are wrestling, taekwondo, boxing, weightlifting, and judo. But fitting in is never easy, never something you can do without any hassle. The struggles of the athletes are hidden away in a glimpse of the victorious faces.
How do they do it?
Even after learning about the problematic scenario, curiosity about the task does not diminish a bit, and we tend to ask the most obvious question: How do they lose so much weight in such a short timeline? They do not only control their diet; they literally starve for days to reduce body weight.
As we all know, around 70% of our body weight is water. These overly dedicated athletes also strictly control their fluid intake to maintain the desired weight quickly. Some of them even cut their hair and dresses so that a few grams can drop and help them be suitable for the circumstances.
In the Paris Olympics, athletes weigh in each morning for each weight category, and during the process, they can get on the scale as many times as they want to. If someone does not attain success in the process mentioned above, then they are indeed disqualified for the next step, just Vinesh.
And at what cost
Nothing forced has ever only bore sweet fruits of success. Not only did this method of forced weight-cutting enable the athletes to be in the game, but it also made them sick. This is also not suggested in formal procedures.
In the guidelines published in 2022, the Australian Institute of Sport stated that hormonal variations throughout women's menstrual cycles influence several aspects of weight management and should be considered during weight-cutting for female athletes.
The scenario might not be the same for the male athletes, but they are also not danger-free. The risks of athletes engaging in this practice include medical issues such as various eating disorders and poor bone density.
As the methods of weight-cutting itself are not very safe, there is also a high chance of mortality. And this is just not a hypothetical concept, as a wrestler named Jeff Reese of the University of Michigan lost his life in 1997 during a weight-cutting process. It caused him instant kidney failure and a heart malfunction.