Vinesh Phogat was disqualified after the official weigh-in on Wednesday morning, ahead of her scheduled gold medal bout in the evening. While she had cleared the weigh-in on Tuesday, Vinesh was found to be “a few grams over 50 kg” on Wednesday morning’s weigh-in. It is reported that she was reportedly 2 kilos overweight on Tuesday night — weight she tried her best to shed overnight but couldn’t. WHY DOES THE WEIGHT MATTER? Combat sports — wrestling, boxing, judo, mixed martial arts (MMA), etc. — are organised according to weight classes. This is to facilitate fair and competitive matches. Fighters of similar weight (and thus, size) are more likely to have similar physical attributes, making for a more even playing field. Without weight classes, larger and bulkier athletes would have a natural advantage over smaller ones, even if they are not as technically gifted. WHAT ARE WEIGH INS? Athletes in a particular weight class (say 50 kg) have to weigh equal to, or less than, the stipulated weight. However, one’s weight is never static. It constantly fluctuates within a certain range depending on a number of factors like:
  • how much you eat and drink,
  • how much you sweat, and
  • other bodily functions.
IS THE WEIGHT CONSTANTLY MEASURED? Moreover, it is impractical to constantly monitor an athlete’s weight throughout a competition. Thus, combat sports use a system of weigh-ins. There are designated times before (and in some competitions, after) when an athlete has to be weighed, and meet the requirements of their weight class. WEIGH IN RULES FOR WRESTLING According to United World Wrestling’s (UWW) Olympics weigh-in rules, wrestlers are weighed on the morning of their competition, while wearing their singlet. WEIGH INS IN OLYMPICS: Since the Olympics competition goes on for two days, there are two weigh-ins — there is a 30 minute period on Day 1, and a 15 minute period on Day 2. SIGNIFICANCE: Other sports or competitions may have different rules regarding weigh-ins. In fact, weigh-ins are a key part of the spectacle ahead of a fight in professional combat sports such as pro boxing or MMA, with thousands of viewers tuning in to see athletes strip down, get weighed, talk some smack, and perhaps even engage in a simulated stand-off with their opponent. WHAT IS WEIGHT CUTTING? In simple words, weight cutting involves athletes drastically reducing their weight in a short period of time. This is done by athletes to make the stipulated weight in time for weigh-ins. Many, if not most, combat sports athletes believe that cutting weight before a bout can provide them with an edge over their opponent in the ring, mainly by quickly rebounding in weight and thus weighing more than what their weight class stipulates. This is because weight cuts primarily involve ridding the body of any accumulated water — this is the “easiest” weight to shed. Athletes do not drink water, carry out intense exercise, use saunas, wear heavy clothing, etc. to lose this water weight through sweat. They also do not eat anything ahead of weigh-ins.