Rio Olympics marathoner OP Jaisha said one thing about being provided energy drinks during the race. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) said a second thing about the issue. Jaisha's fellow marathoner Kavita Raut said a third thing about it.
BCCL
Jaisha says that at the women's marathon event at the Rio Olympics she was not provided any water or energy drinks by Indian sports officials despite there being designated stations for every country's officials. Jaisha collapsed at the finish line and was rushed to hospital.
"We are supposed to be given drinks by our technical officials, it's the rule. We cannot take water from any other team. I saw the Indian board there but there was nothing. I had a lot of problem, I fainted after the race. I was administered glucose, I thought I would die," Jaisha recalled yesterday upon her return home.
BCCL
Later yesterday, AFI flat denied what Jaisha alleged. They said they did offer to provide drinks but that neither Jaisha nor Raut accepted the offer.
"In this case, the two athletes, Ms Jaisha and Ms Raut declined the offer and informed the Indian team manager that they didn't require personalised drink, and if at all they required it during the race, they would use the drinks available at the water booth and refreshment booth provided by the organisers," the AFI statement said.
AFI's secretary CK Valson said today Jaisha is looking to pin blame on someone else for her loss.
"She underperformed in the marathon, maybe that's why she has thrown this blame," Valson told ANI.
This morning, Jaisha said AFI's lying.
Now, as of today afternoon, Raut has come out and said that the AFI officials did offer to keep drinks for her but that she refused them, ANI reported.
"AFI provided all facilities, have no complaint against them. I can only speak for myself, I was offered energy drinks, etc., by the officials before the marathon but I had refused. OPJaisha and her coach didn't join the Assemblies so maybe that's why they didn't know about keeping a personal water bottle (at the designated station)," Raut said.
"We weren't allowed to meet OPJaisha in the medical centre. Afterwards at the clinic I was with her," Raut said.
What is known is that OPJaisha's coach Nikolai Snesarev got into an altercation with one of the doctors and ended up being detained for half a day by the local police.
Raut concurs with that part. "Jaisha's coach had an argument there at the medical centre when Jaisha passed out and other coaches were with him," Raut said.