Aman Sehrawat Overcomes Weight Challenge to Secure Bronze Medal for India at Paris

On Friday, Aman Sehrawat secured India's sixth medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, marking the fifth bronze and the first medal in wrestling for the country. Sehrawat triumphed over Puerto Rico’s Darian Cruz with a decisive 13-5 victory in the men’s 57 kg freestyle bronze medal match. This win ensured that India maintained its tradition of earning at least one wrestling medal at each Olympics since 2008.

Challenges and Tensions in the Indian Camp

Just a day before Sehrawat's medal win, the Indian wrestling camp faced a major scare reminiscent of earlier issues experienced with Vinesh Phogat. Phogat had an impressive run to the final, including a victory over the world No. 1, Yui Susaki of Japan. However, she was disqualified from the women's 50kg freestyle final due to a weight discrepancy, being 100 grams over the limit. Despite her efforts to lose weight, including staying awake all night and undergoing extreme measures, Phogat was unable to compete for the gold medal.

Sehrawat's Weight Management Strategy

On Friday, Sehrawat weighed in at 61.5 kg, which was 4.5 kg over the permissible limit for his weight category. With only 10 hours before the official weigh-in, the coaching team, including senior coaches Jagmander Singh and Virender Dahiya, undertook an urgent weight-cutting strategy to ensure Sehrawat met the weight requirement.

The Intensive Weight-Cutting Regimen

The process began with a one-and-a-half-hour mat session where Sehrawat engaged in intensive wrestling practice. This was followed by a hot bath and an hour-long treadmill run. After a brief rest, Sehrawat underwent five 5-minute sauna sessions. By the end of this rigorous regimen, he had lost 3.6 kg. A massage, light jogging, and a 15-minute run brought his weight down to 56.9 kg by 4:30 am, just under the weight limit.

Also read: Abhinav Bindra Applauds Aman Sehrawat’s Bronze Medal Triumph and Sportsmanship

Throughout this period, Sehrawat was also provided with lukewarm water mixed with lemon, honey, and a bit of coffee. Coach Dahiya highlighted the intense effort and sleepless night of the team, noting the heightened tension due to Phogat’s earlier situation. The team was determined not to let another medal opportunity slip away.