IOC drops wrestling from 2020 Olympics
In a surprise recommendation, the IOC dropped wrestling from the Olympics beginning in 2020 on Tuesday. According to a Reuters report, the decision was just a recommendation and the sport will have a chance to make it back onto the program when the committee meets in Buenos Aires in September. However, it is unlikely wrestling will be voted back in; a total of seven sports are fighting for one spot.
“This is not the end of the process, this is purely a recommendation,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams told reporters after the executive board vote. “It is the session which is sovereign.”
“It was a decision to look at the core sports, what works best for the Olympic games. This was the best program for the 2020 Olympics. This is not about what’s wrong with wrestling but what is good for the Games.”
Other sports considered in the Tuesday recommendation included taekwondo, modern pentathlon and field hockey. According to Olympic sports writer Philip Hersh, financial considerations may have been a more important factor than popularity:
So much for IOC's alleged standard of universality for sports: modern pentathlon had athletes from 26 countries in London; wrestling, 71—
Philip Hersh (@olyphil) February 12, 2013
Figure taekwondo survived because of $$$. It's an important sport in Korea, and Samsung one of IOC's big sponsors.—
Philip Hersh (@olyphil) February 12, 2013
Wrestling and Marathon should be untouchable, they do not cost lots of money, so almost any nation can send a athelete.
They could cut one of the 4x100 relays or something.. or maybe a 1500 meter one or something..
HOW about this.. who cares about powerwalking events! There is so many redundant or near redundant sports, there is no reason to cut a core sport. Since the inception of sports, there has been wresting, the pit of strengh against strenght to see who is strongest, apparently knowing who can flip thier wrist faster at tabble tennis, or look the best at beach volleyball wins out.
many fans here for sweaty mean rolling around on a mat with each other
hmmm, maybe sandusky was on to something
Wrestling is also one of the cheapest sports that athletes can compete in. It allows many countries to send athletes, unlike dressage where you have to own a horse. Sick
This is a disgrace. I am disgusted by the IOC and there blatant corruption. Over 70 countries participated in wrestling. How many care about badminton or equestrian? Badminton just had a bloody match-fixing scandal and there is no talk of removing the "sport." Wrestling takes years of dedication and has been around since the original olympics and it gets removed. I will never watch the summer Olympics again and thats not hyperbole....
Wrestling was in the original Greek Olympics. Dancing horses? Not so much.
@VenerinoGriva But Mitt Romney wants to compete so Dressage is safe.
How do you have trampoline but not wrestling!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Let's have fairy pixie dusting next! Then you can have tandem pixie dusting, flat track dust fairying, pixie sprints, etc.
What a freaking joke.
no ways!
The Olympics without wrestling is like the Louvre with no artwork in it..
But, thank heavens, beach volleyball is still in! No wonder I long ago gave up on the olympics as a serious venue. A disgrace to genuine sports.
Basketball, soccer, tennis, ping-pong, handball and volleyball have no place in the Olympics. Surely one of them can make way for one of the oldest and most genuinely Olympic competitions?
Yeah...lets get rid of Wrestling (probably one of the oldest sports known to mankind) but keep cycling. And maybe add BMX dirt-mound jumping. Holy crap.
@bigcgcg
Yeah, I mean - they have Curling, ffs. Curling... but no wrestling. Really...
@HossStyle @bigcgcg At least curling is Winter Olympics, so it's not competing for the same slot.
Wait...WHAT??
Getting rid of wrestling is absolutely stupid. Especially now that it's more popular than ever since it's a great base to transition into MMA with. Plus, almost every country in the Olympics has a team. There must of been some MAJOR bribes going on. Why even watch the Olympics, now? I mean, if sports can be "bought" in to and out of the Games, then what's to say winners and losers aren't being bought as well sometimes? The IOC is embracing "money" as the main sport, here. Disgraceful.
The Rock says this sucks.
oh, come on man, this was sandusky's fav sport
What an absolute joke to remove a sport that not only has been in the modern games since they began but was headline top competition in the ancient games as well. I realize that the Olympics don't operate without financial concerns, but there is no excuse for completely selling out and focusing on team sports with marketable stars at the expense of some of the most basic traditions.
Hey, fellow Americans: you know how people from other countries like to rub into our faces every bad decision we make? Just remember: this one was made because, when every other country makes a mistake, it's a globally stupid mistake. This one? It's on them.
This is shameful! The IOC is out of control, corrupt and useless. Wrestling should be untouchable as should the track and field events. Reeks of kick-back money.