(Reuters) – Wrestling will not feature in the 2020 Olympic Games after the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board made a surprise recommendation to drop the sport on Tuesday.
Contested in the first modern Olympics in 1896 and also part of the ancient Games in Olympia, wrestling will now join seven other candidate sports battling for one spot in a revamped program. …
Board members were given a report on each of the Olympic sports which provided details on 39 criteria such as popularity, finances, tickets sold and governance, before a secret vote. …
Very odd decision, especially since women’s wrestling was added 2004.
… Wrestling will now join the seven shortlisted sports – baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding and wushu – vying for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic programme as an additional sport.
The eight sports are scheduled to make presentations to the Executive Board at its meeting in St Petersburg, Russia, in May. The EB will select which of the eight sports to recommend to the 125th IOC Session for inclusion as an additional sport on the 2020 programme. …
4 comments ↓
The IOC is so ridiculous. ALL sports fans need to tell them not to do this. Wrestling is indeginous to all cultures of the world, doesn’t cost anything to do, and can be done by all people, regardless of size, gender or physical impairment. Please, support the wrestling community. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Save-Olympic-Wrestling/140684176096583
It is absolutely wrong recommendation was made on Tuesday. How possible to exclude wrestling from the Olympic Games 2020 by the several criteria mentioned in the document. I understand what does it mean “popularity and governance”, “tickets and finances”. But, probably, some experts of the International Olympic Committee compared wrestling to curling which is very popular, particularly in New Zealand or Ecuador!? I won’t believe that wrestling as one of the MAJOR SPORT of Olympic Games for more than 100 years, “contested in the first modern Olympics in 1896 and also was part of the ancient Games in Olympia, will now join seven other candidate sports battling for one spot in a revamped program…” What is more important to consider wrestling as very important Olympic Sport : tickets and finances or symbolic role of impersonating a fair duel between strong people and huge positive mission of wrestling!?
They need to get rid of golf and rugby sevens, that was a joke to add them
that is really effing bizarre. It is totally endemic to the old Olympics, is a universal sport, costs almost nothing (much better than gym), has weight classes for all sizes, has a martial tie-in, etc. etc.
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