The Trials of Weight Cutting in Combat Sports

Vinesh Phogat didn't claim an Olympic medal after failing to make the required weight for the 50kg final event on Wednesday morning. Phogat was roughly 100 grams over the allowed 50kgs limit, leading to disqualification from the competition.

Weight cutting is a demanding aspect of combat sports that athletes must confront prior to an event. Notably, Sakshi Malik, India's inaugural female Olympic medal-winning wrestler once humorously suggested a medal should be awarded for the gruelling process alone.

Weight cutting involves athletes purposefully decreasing their body mass over time. They generally commence this process a fortnight ahead of a competition, aiming to lose around 10% of their weight gradually. As an example, if a competitor weighs 60kg but is participating in the 57kg category, they would strategise to lose three kilos incrementally over two weeks.

This constant weight reduction process has been part of Phogat's routine for the past seven months, moving from 60kgs to 55kgs to compete in the nationals during February and subsequently to 50kgs for the Olympic trials. Her common body weight hovers around 53kgs, the weight category she formerly competed in.

The most challenging part of a weight cut occurs within the last 24 hours before the weigh-in. It's a frantic period where athletes resort to drastic measures, like extended cardio workouts in sweat suits, consecutive steam and sauna sessions, or trying to shed as much fluid as possible. Some even choose to cut their hair as a means to lose additional grams. Fatigue at this stage is so severe that athletes often find it impossible to sleep.

Sharing her experience, Sakshi described the difficulty of a weight cut, recollecting when Phogat had to survive on minimal water intake and no food while preparing for the 48kg division at the Rio Olympics. 

Contrary to intuition, there are two weight cuts. Wrestlers are required to meet the weight on the morning of preliminary rounds as well as on the final day of competition. Although Phogat met the weight requirement on Tuesday morning before the preliminary rounds, she was slightly above the 50kgs limit on Wednesday during the day of the final.