Refuting marathon runner OP Jaisha’s claim that the Indian stalls hadn’t provided any energy drinks during the race, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) said that the athlete and her coach refused to avail of the energy drinks at the Rio Olympics.
Reacting to the AFI’s statements, OP Jaisha said,
How would the representatives of Athletics Federation of India know the truth if they were not even there? There are cameras everywhere now, they should check the cameras and they will get the answer. Why would I say such a huge lie, when I have never once complained in my entire career? There needs to be an inquiry on it.
Jaisha Orchatteri Puthiya Veetil is India’s national record holder in the women’s marathon event. She has run the just over 42-kilometre race several times in her life.
However, in Rio, fighting for the country’s pride on the biggest stage, Jaisha collapsed after crossing the finish line. She had placed a lowly 89th, missing her personal best by well over 13 minutes.
She wasn’t ill prepared, she wasn’t out of practise. She was dehydrated.
“I could have died there”, said a distraught O P Jaisha as she recalled the day when she claims she was not provided any water or energy drinks during the race by the Indian officials despite designated stations allotted to the country.
It was very hot there. The competition was at 9am, I ran in scorching heat. There was no water for us, neither recovery drinks nor food. Only once in 8kms did we get water (from the Rio organisers) which did not help at all. All the countries had their stalls at every 2kms but our country’s stall was empty.OP Jaisha
Jaisha had collapsed at the finish line after completing the marathon and had to be rushed to a hospital where her coach Nikolai Snesarev got into an altercation with one of the doctors and ended up being detained for half a day by the local police.
We are supposed to be given drinks by our technical officials, it’s the rule. We cannot take water from any other team. I saw the Indian board there but there was nothing. I had a lot of problem, I fainted after the race. The coach thought I was dead.OP Jaisha
The runner claimed that she got no response from officials when she asked why water was not provided to her at the stalls.
“I asked officials why there was no water for us but I got no response. I don’t know what they were doing. There were lot of people in the Indian athletics contingent, anybody could have done this job,” Jaisha told Times Now.
(With inputs from PTI and Times Now)
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