Lovlina’s 75kg weight class scrapped from LA Games

Tokyo Olympics medallist Lovlina Borgohain could move down to the 70kg category after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) scrapped her current 75kg weight class for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, forcing her to pick a new division.

The IOC on Wednesday announced the event programme and athlete quotas for the LA Games. With the rejig, Borgohain will have to either move down to 70kg or bulk up to 80kg.

“This is brand new information for me. It is quite shocking,” Borgohain said. “I think I will have to move down to 70kg because it will be difficult for me to go up to 80kg.”

Her personal coach Pranamika Bora was equally surprised by the development but said the final call would be made only after a series of fitness and medical assessments. “It’s too soon to commit to anything. She can fight in both categories as she has the height for 80kg as well,” Bora said. “But we will conduct some tests to check what is best for body, cutting weight or bulking up.”

Currently, Borgohain’s natural weight is 74kg and Bora stressed that losing too much weight could lead to reduction in strength.

This isn’t the first time Borgohain has had to switch categories due to a rejig. Ahead of the Paris Games, she moved up from her then favoured 69kg division to 75kg after the former was axed from the Olympics programme.