Woller Akos, the coach of Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, has disclosed the intense and dangerous weight-cut process that nearly cost the wrestler her life before the gold medal bout in the Paris Olympics 2024. (Medal Table | Full Coverage | More Sports News)
Akos, who has faced criticism after Phogat was disqualified from the 50-kg final for being just 100g overweight, shared details of the ordeal in a social media post, later removed, highlighting the extraordinary efforts made to get Phogat ready for the competition.
In his post, Akos described how, after Phogat’s semi-final victory, she was left with 2.7 kg of excess weight. Despite exercising for over an hour, only 1.2 kg was lost. A 50-minute sauna session followed, yet no sweat appeared.
With few options left, Phogat endured five and a half hours of relentless cardio workouts and wrestling moves, with minimal rest. According to Akos, the experience was so severe that he feared Phogat “might die” during the process.
Phogat’s determination, however, could not overcome the physical toll. She ultimately collapsed from exhaustion, but the team persevered, managing to get her back into the sauna for another hour. Despite these extreme measures, Phogat was unable to meet the weight requirement and was subsequently disqualified from the final.
Akos praised Phogat’s composure and grace after the disqualification. “She was in tears but showed incredible resilience,” he wrote. Akos recounted their conversation on the way back from the hospital, where Phogat reflected on her journey. “Don’t be sad,” she told her coach, “I proved that I am one of the best in the world. Medals and podiums are just objects. Performance cannot be taken away.”
The Hungarian coach also emphasised Phogat’s deep respect for the significance of an Olympic medal, recalling last year’s protest when Phogat, alongside Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, contemplated immersing their medals in the Ganga at Haridwar. Phogat had pleaded with her fellow wrestlers to reconsider, underscoring the special value of their Olympic achievements.
Despite the heartbreaking disqualification, Akos asserted that Phogat’s performance on the first day of competition would be remembered. “We will still be proud that our professional programme led to beating the best woman wrestler in the world and took an Indian woman wrestler to the Olympic final for the first time in history,” he concluded.
Who Is Woller Akos?
In 2018, Vinesh Phogat embarked on a transformative journey with Hungarian wrestling coach Woller Akos, seeking to refine her techniques and enhance her agility on the mat. Akos, who had previously guided his wife Marianna Sastin to World Championship gold in 2011, proved to be the perfect mentor for Phogat. Following Phogat’s disappointing performance at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, ex-Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh claimed that Akos was prioritising his wife’s training over Phogat’s.
Phogat and Akos silenced their doubters by securing multiple titles over the past three years. Phogat's unwavering dedication to Akos' rigorous training regime has yielded impressive results, including two Commonwealth Games gold medals (2018, 2022) and the Asian Wrestling Championships bronze medal (2019). Through their partnership, Phogat has emerged as a dominant force in her weight category, with Akos' expert guidance playing a pivotal role in her success.
