Vinesh Phogat’s final hope in the form of an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), was dashed a few days ago and soon after, she would be back to India with a feeling that an Olympic medal was simply plucked from her hand in Paris.
As more details emerge about what happened on the night before her second official weigh-in prior to the 50kg freestyle final, Woller Akos, her coach apparently said that he feared for Vinesh’s life while she was trying to lose the remaining few grams before weighing but eventually ended up being disqualified as she remained 100gm short.
According to a report in The Indian Express, Akos did post his comments on Facebook and later deleted it.
The deleted Hungarian Facebook post contained this quote from Akos: “After the semi-final there were still 2.7 kg overweight. We trained for an hour and 20 minutes, but still had 1.5 kg left behind. After that we went to sauna for 50 minutes without even sweating a drop. At some point there was no option again and from midnight until half-past five in the morning she exercised on various cardio machines and wrestling moves, nearly three-quarters of an hour at one stretch with a two-three minute rest after each round. Then she started again.”
The report also notes that Akos wrote in his post that Vinesh “collapsed” then returned back into sauna.
“She fell down,” recalled the coach. “But somehow or other we got her up and spent an hour in sauna. I don’t mean deliberately dramatic details, but I only remember thinking that I thought she could die”.
However, he added some other information concerning their dialogue with Vinesh after discharge from Paris hospital.
“On our way back from a hospital we had interesting talk last night,” writes coach. “Vinesh Phogat told me: ‘Don’t worry coach because you taught me how to bring out extra energy when I was in a tight spot by telling myself I defeated the best girl (Yui Susaki of Japan in Round of 16) in the world.’ My aim was reached; I proved that I am among the best all over the world. It is proved that strategies work. Medals, platforms are just objects. Performance can never be taken away.”
