The Weight of Glory: Mirabai Chanu's Sacrifice and the Dark Side of Competitive Sports Mirabai Chanu's victory in the women's 48kg weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Games was a testament to her skill and dedication, but it also highlighted a disturbing reality about the world of competitive sports.
Chanu had not eaten or drunk water for three days to make weight, sparking widespread outrage and concern. This is not an isolated incident.
Weight cutting has become a pervasive problem in many contact and non contact sports, with athletes pushing themselves to extreme lengths to make it to their desired weight class.