Paris Olympics: How Indian bronze-medalist Aman Sehrawat maintained his weight
What's the story
Indian wrestler Aman Sehrawat, who won the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has opened up on the harsh realities of maintaining his competition weight. In an interview with NDTV, Sehrawat revealed that his weight increased by nearly 3.5kg ahead of Day 2. He competed in the 57kg freestyle wrestling category. This unexpected gain forced him to stay awake all night before his bronze medal match in order to shed the excess weight.
Weight
Sehrawat's struggle with sleep and hunger
Sehrawat started his weight management nearly 20 days prior to the Paris Games. However, he struggled with sleep deprivation even two days before the bouts being on an empty stomach. He candidly expressed, "When you don't eat anything, how would you sleep?" This statement underscores the physical and mental toll that such extreme weight management measures can take on athletes.
Rule
Sehrawat proposes weight exemption for wrestlers
The issue of weight management in wrestling has been under scrutiny following the disqualification of Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat for failing her weigh-in ahead of her gold medal match. This incident prompted Sehrawat and his team to be extra vigilant with their weight management strategies. Sehrawat also proposed a 2kg exemption for wrestlers on the second day of their bout, stating, "About 2kg of exemption should be given for the weigh-in on the second day."
Journey
Sehrawat's intense weight loss regimen revealed
Before his bronze medal match, Sehrawat faced a significant challenge as he weighed in at 61.5kg, 4.5kg over the permissible limit for his category. With only 10 hours left before the next weigh-in, he and his coaches embarked on an intense regimen to shed the excess weight. This involved a series of activities, including a 1-hour hot-bath session, five 5-minute sauna sessions, and several other running sessions.
Overnight vigil
Sehrawat's coach details night of weight monitoring
Throughout the weight loss process, Sehrawat also hit the gym for a non-stop one-hour treadmill run. His coach, Virender Dahiya, revealed that they had to keep checking Sehrawat's weight every hour and didn't sleep throughout the night. Despite the intense effort, Sehrawat did not sleep until the weigh-in. By 4:30am, he was 100g below permissible limit. This account provides a glimpse into the rigorous and demanding nature of weight management in wrestling.
Information
Aman Sehrawat entered record books
Aman Sehrawat, India's only male wrestler at the Paris Games, gave the nation its final medal. He overcame Darian Toi Cruz in the men's 57kg wrestling bronze medal contest. Sehrawat brought home India's only medal in wrestling at the Paris Games.