Wrestling dropped from 2020 Games

[miami_fan]

I thought this was the ultimate Olympic sport and now it is no longer in the Olympic Games.

IOC drops wrestling from 2020 Olympics - ESPN

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- IOC leaders dropped wrestling from the Olympic program on Tuesday, a surprise decision that removes one of the oldest Olympic sports from the 2020 Games.

The IOC executive board decided to retain modern pentathlon -- the event considered most at risk -- and remove wrestling instead from its list of 25 "core sports."

The IOC board acted after reviewing the 26 sports on the current Olympic program. Eliminating one sport allows the International Olympic Committee to add a new sport to the program later this year.

Wrestling, which combines freestyle and Greco-Roman events, goes back to the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.

"This is a process of renewing and renovating the program for the Olympics," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. "In the view of the executive board, this was the best program for the Olympic Games in 2020. It's not a case of what's wrong with wrestling, it is what's right with the 25 core sports."

Adams said the decision was made by secret ballot over several rounds, with members voting each time on which sport should not be included in the core group. IOC President Jacques Rogge did not vote.

Wrestling was voted out from a final group that also included modern pentathlon, taekwondo and field hockey, officials familiar with the vote told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the voting details were not made public.

The board voted after reviewing a report by the IOC program commission report that analyzed 39 criteria, including television ratings, ticket sales, anti-doping policy and global participation and popularity. With no official rankings or recommendations contained in the report, the final decision by the 15-member board was also subject to political, emotional and sentimental factors.

The international wrestling federation, known by the French acronym FILA, is headed by Raphael Martinetti and is based in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland. Calls to the federation for comment were not immediately returned.

Wrestling featured 344 athletes competing in 11 medal events in freestyle and seven in Greco-Roman at last year's London Olympics. Women's wrestling was added to the Olympics at the 2004 Athens Games.

Wrestling will now join seven other sports in applying for inclusion in 2020. The others are a combined bid from baseball and softball, karate, squash, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu. They will be vying for a single opening in 2020.

The IOC executive board will meet in May in St. Petersburg, Russia, to decide which sport or sports to propose for 2020 inclusion. The final vote will be made at the IOC session, or general assembly, in September in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

It is extremely unlikely that wrestling would be voted back in so soon after being removed by the executive board.

"Today's decision is not final," Adams said. "The session is sovereign and the session will make the final decision."

The last sports removed from the Olympics were baseball and softball, voted out by the IOC in 2005 and off the program since the 2008 Beijing Games. Golf and rugby will be joining the program at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Previously considered under the closest scrutiny was modern pentathlon, which has been on the Olympic program since the 1912 Stockholm Games. It was created by French baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement, and combines fencing, horse riding, swimming, running and shooting.

Klaus Schormann, president of governing body UIPM, lobbied hard to protect his sport's Olympic status and it paid off in the end.

"We have promised things and we have delivered," he said after Tuesday's decision. "That gives me a great feeling. It also gives me new energy to develop our sport further and never give up."

Modern pentathlon also benefited from the work of Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., the son of the former IOC president who is a UIPM vice president and member of the IOC board.

"We were considered weak in some of the scores in the program commission report but strong in others," Samaranch told the AP. "We played our cards to the best of our ability and stressed the positives. Tradition is one of our strongest assets, but we are also a multi-sport discipline that produces very complete people."

[Easy Mac]

But we're keeping horsey dancing, right?

[stevew]

If they need to trim down events, swimming would be a great place to start.

[heybrad]

Klaus Schormann, president of governing body UIPM, lobbied hard to protect his sport's Olympic status and it paid off in the end.

"We have promised things and we have delivered," he said after Tuesday's decision. "That gives me a great feeling. It also gives me new energy to develop our sport further and never give up."

Sounds like Klaus bought somebody off.

[Chief Rum]

I realize there has to be a cut off somewhere, but it seems like if we're going to have core sports like this cut, then maybe they should expand their core sport list to 30 or something like that?

Or, you know, God forbid we should stop with synchronized swimming and equestrian events.

[nilodor]

I was surprised that modern pentathlon wasn't cut until I read that the former IOC's head Juan Antonio Samaranch's (sp?) son was pushing hard for it's continued inclusion. And I totally agree with heybrad, it sounds like Klaus delivered some briefcases full of money. It just seems weird to cut wrestling, it's a popular sport around the globe, most countries participate in it, it's had some great olympic moments.

[digamma]

"Look, we just really don't want Iraq, Iran or Turkey to come to the Olympics," a European Olympic official said.

[Suicane75]

Seems very odd given the rise in popularity of combat sports. This couldn't reek of payola anymore.

[digamma]

"Hey, don't blame us, the Olympics have to be Title IX compliant," a US Olympic official said. "I mean, even Iowa is considering dropping their wrestling program."


(I know there is women's wrestling in the Olympics.)

[Young Drachma]

Wrestling will now join seven other sports in applying for inclusion in 2020. The others are a combined bid from baseball and softball, karate, squash, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu. They will be vying for a single opening in 2020.

I wonder what the favorite here will be? Probably karate or squash. Not sure Roller sports has a shot and baseball/softball are probably screwed still.

[ISiddiqui]

Equestrian and Sync Swimming = Women viewers.

It's all about the benjamins.

[JPhillips]

"What?"

[JonInMiddleGA]

WTF is "wushu"?

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

WTF is "wushu"?

Chinese martial arts.

[albionmoonlight]

Totally agree that it was a matter of who could bribe the best.

Don't see why they have to have such a strict limit anyway. Why not make it 30 or 35 sports. Is anyone really complaining that there's too much olympics?

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Don't see why they have to have such a strict limit anyway. Why not make it 30 or 35 sports. Is anyone really complaining that there's too much olympics?

I think its about keeping the costs down for the hosting city. Hosting the Summer Games is an economic drag enough.

[Young Drachma]

Need to move wrestling to winter.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by stevew

If they need to trim down events, swimming would be a great place to start.

Why would they trim down one of the most popular summer Olympic sports? I don't agree that wrestling should've been cut, but cutting or even trimming down swimming would be almost as dumb as doing the same to Track and Field.

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by stevew

If they need to trim down events, swimming would be a great place to start.

Sports, rather than events.

[britrock88]

And which of those candidates would you put in ahead of wrestling?

...Not to mention stroke-play golf and rugby sevens coming in for '16. Ugh.

Some of us like seeing sports we don't otherwise see!!!

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

WTF is "wushu"?

Some kind of pork dish, I think.

[finketr]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

Some kind of pork dish, I think.

that's mooshu

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Originally Posted by finketr

that's mooshu

Beef moos.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

Some kind of pork dish, I think.

That's Wagyu, and it's beef.

[Jughead Spock]

One of the most absurd things I've ever heard. Might as well cut the marathon next.

[IlliniCub]

In all fairness it really hasn't been that great since the Monday night wars so who can blame them..............In all seriousness though as a former and sometimes current wrestler I am highly disappointed. We've been watching the sport die a slow death for years now as more colleges and high schools drop it and this feels like another nail in the coffin.

[dubb93]

The Iron Shiek is not happy.

The Iron Sheik isn't just a WWE legend ... he's also a veteran Olympic wrestler ... and he's so pissed that his sport is getting booted from the Games ... he's now threatening violence.

As we previously reported, the International Olympic Committee has moved to drop wrestling from the 2020 games ... in favor of other sports like field hockey. Seriously.

Now, Sheik -- who competed for Iran in the 1968 Olympics and then became an asst. coach for Team USA in the '70s -- tells TMZ (in his trademark broken English) he's looking to take matters into his own hands.

"After 1000 years they take away the best sport in the world? This is the first time the dumb motherf**kers have no balls for they make the walking an Olympic sport."

He adds, "If I see anybody on the street that work from the IOC I swear to the Jesus I suplex them put them in camel clutch break their back make them humble."

"The #TEAMSHEIKIE respect the Olympic now they can all go f**k themselves and make the Curling Olympic sport because they all the biggest piece of no good s**t and I never watch the Olympic again. Also buy my t shirt [on my website] or go f**k yourself.”

It's a little confusing ... but we think we get the point.

--credit TMZ

[stevew]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

WTF is "wushu"?

Isn't that the Japanese full body slippery massage thing?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by stevew

Isn't that the Japanese full body slippery massage thing?

Nah, I know that one: shiatsu.

Briefly dated a practitioner, good times.

edit to add: At least that the word that sounds like wushu, although the full body slippery stuff wasn't actually part of the massage technique IIRC.

[Breeze]

Originally Posted by stevew

If they need to trim down events, swimming would be a great place to start.

Wrong...sorry...head to head racing is the basis of competition. No judging, no scores, no points...dive in and first to the wall wins.

By the way...not happy about wrestling being dropped either. I rather have the basic sports than many of these new manufactured events...

[MIJB#19]

What's next? E-mailing the Olympic fire?

[ISiddiqui]

I read somewhere that dropping wrestling may be a ploy to deal with:

Wrestling will now join seven other sports in applying for inclusion in 2020. The others are a combined bid from baseball and softball, karate, squash, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu. They will be vying for a single opening in 2020.

Basically, you would almost have to include wrestling from that group, right? And in that case, it may be more of a "we don't have want to see any of these sports come in, so lets make it a no brainer".

[larrymcg421]

As long as they don't mess with Team Handball. That was one of my favorite sports to watch at the last Olympics. Hopefully the Americans can build up a team for 2016.

[tarcone]

BOOOOOOOO!
All I can think of is that Dan Gables career would have ended with a loss.

I dont understand what the olympics are shooting for? Wrestling was an original sport. Thus the name Greco-Roman.

Why do they need to do away with sports? Is it lack of venues? I cant believe that major metropolitan cities cant find a gym to host Wrestling. Or a baseball field to host Baseball and Softball. Why do they need to be played in 60k seat stadiums or 20k seat arenas? Oh yeah, need to make money off the amateur sports. Oh wait, it isnt for amateurs anymore. Silly me.