Aman Sehrawat, an Indian wrestler competing in the men’s 57kg category at the Olympics, found himself in a difficult situation. After losing his semifinal match on Thursday, he was 4.5 kilograms over the permissible weight limit of 61.5kg. Facing potential disqualification, Sehrawat and his coaches embarked on a relentless 10-hour mission to shed the excess weight.
The journey began immediately after his semifinal defeat around 6:30 pm with a one-and-a-half-hour mat session focused on standing wrestling. Senior Indian coaches Jagmander Singh and Virender Dahiya led the rigorous weight-cutting regime. This was followed by a one-hour hot-bath session to induce sweating. At 12:30 am, Sehrawat moved to the gym for a non-stop one-hour treadmill run, further pushing his body to lose weight.
A brief 30-minute break was provided before engaging in five 5-minute sessions of the sauna bath. Even after these efforts, Sehrawat’s weight was still 900 grams above the limit. He then received a massage and was instructed to do light jogging, followed by five 15-minute running sessions. By 4:30 am, Aman weighed in at 56.9kg, 100 grams below the limit, bringing relief to the coaches and wrestler alike.
Throughout this grueling process, Sehrawat consumed lukewarm water mixed with lemon and honey, along with a bit of coffee. Despite the exhaustion, he chose not to sleep, instead watching videos of wrestling bouts to stay focused. “We kept checking his weight every hour. We didn’t sleep the whole night, not even during the day,” said coach Dahiya. “Weight cutting is routine, normal for us but there was tension, a lot of tension due to what happened the other day (with Vinesh). We could not let slip another medal,” said Dahiya.
All the hard work paid off as Sehrawat, with his unwavering determination, managed to compete in the bronze medal match. He went on to defeat Darian Cruz of Puerto Rico, earning India’s youngest ever Olympic medal. His incredible feat is a testament to his resilience, the dedication of his coaches, and the power of perseverance in the face of adversity.
