Coach feared Vinesh Phogat ¡®might die¡¯ during intense weight cut before Olympic final

Woller Akos, the coach of Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, expressed his deep concern for her well-being during a grueling weight-cut session the night before her Olympic final in Paris. Akos, a Hungarian coach, admitted that he feared for Vinesh¡¯s life as she pushed her limits in a desperate attempt to make the 50-kg weight category.

Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the 50-kg final for being 100 grams overweight, a result that attracted significant criticism. Akos, responding to the backlash in a social media post on Thursday, stated that the team did everything within their power to ensure that Vinesh could compete for the gold medal. However, the intensity of the weight cut left him fearing for her safety.

Intense weight cut left coach fearing for Vinesh Phogat's life

In a Facebook post originally written in Hungarian and later removed, Akos shared a detailed account of the night before Vinesh's final. He highlighted the extraordinary effort Vinesh put into making weight, describing the extreme measures she took despite her body seemingly refusing to shed the extra pounds.

¡°After the semi-final, 2.7 kg of excess weight was left; we exercised for one hour and twenty minutes, but 1.5 kg still remained. Later, after 50 minutes of sauna, not a drop of sweat appeared on her. There was no choice left, and from midnight to 5:30 in the morning, she worked on different cardio machines and wrestling moves, about three-quarters of an hour at one go, with two-three minutes of rest. Then she started again. She collapsed, but somehow we got her up, and she spent an hour in the sauna. I don¡¯t intentionally write dramatic details, but I only remember thinking that she might die,¡± Akos wrote.

Despite the disqualification, Akos noted Vinesh¡¯s grace under pressure. He recalled their conversation after the event, where she remained positive despite the setback. ¡°Vinesh Phogat said, ¡®Coach, don¡¯t be sad because you told me that if I find myself in any difficult situation and need extra energy, I should think that I beat the best woman wrestler (Japan¡¯s Yui Susaki) in the world. I achieved my goal, I proved that I am one of the best in the world. We have proved that the gameplans work. Medals, podiums are just objects. Performance cannot be taken away¡¯,¡± Akos recounted.

Sequence of events that lead to Vinesh Phogat's disqualification

The sequence of events that led to Vinesh Phogat¡¯s disqualification was both rapid and unfortunate. On 6th August, Vinesh made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final, winning two crucial matches that fueled hopes of a gold medal for India.

However, maintaining her weight under the 50-kg limit became a significant hurdle. On the morning of 6th August, she weighed in at 49.9 kg, but after her semifinal victory, her weight rose to 52.7 kg. Determined to compete in the final, Vinesh spent the entire night engaged in rigorous physical activities, including skipping, jogging, and using a sauna to shed the excess weight. By morning, she had reduced her weight to 50.1 kg.

Unfortunately, during the official weigh-in the next day, Vinesh was still 100 grams over the limit, resulting in her disqualification. Despite pleas from the Indian team for more time, the strict rules meant that Vinesh could not compete for a medal, ending her Olympic campaign abruptly.

Woller Akos: The coach behind Vinesh Phogat's journey

In 2018, Vinesh Phogat sought to elevate her wrestling career by partnering with Hungarian coach Woller Akos. Akos, who had successfully coached his wife Marianna Sastin to a World Championship gold in 2011, brought a wealth of experience to the table. Following Vinesh¡¯s disappointing performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, there were claims by ex-Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh that Akos was prioritizing his wife¡¯s training over Phogat¡¯s.

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However, the duo silenced critics by achieving multiple titles over the past few years. Phogat¡¯s unwavering commitment to Akos¡¯ demanding training regimen led to significant successes, including two Commonwealth Games gold medals (2018, 2022) and an Asian Wrestling Championships bronze medal (2019). Through this partnership, Vinesh emerged as a dominant force in her weight class, with Akos¡¯ guidance being instrumental in her achievements.

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