PARIS: "Abhi nahin, sir, please jaane do. Abhi mujhe weight manage karna hain. I will speak tomorrow." A hope filled, happy-sounding Vinesh Phogat was bounding off after reaching the final of the women's 50kg freestyle on Tuesday here in Paris, before she was found just about 100g over in the morning weigh-in for the final.
Even in the euphoria of victory, the 29-year-old wrestler was clearly more concerned about maintaining her weight ahead of the morning's final weigh-in. Later, as dusk was gathering over the Champs de Mars arena, Vinesh was seen skipping near the athletes' area. In a full 45-minute session, she did some running and stretching, all wearing layers of clothing to help the excessive sweating continue. Then, as she cooled down, she spent nearly quarter of an hour with herself, sometimes looking ahead - the Eiffel in the distance - or with her head buried in her hands. It was a reflective period for the wrestler, but it was clear more pressing things were on her mind.
