I mean, I'm not a follower of wrestling, but to me it was one of the bedrock Olympic events. Now it has to vie with wakeboarding and wushu (among others) for inclusion.
STEPHEN WILSON , The Associated Press
Posted: Tuesday, February 12, 2013, 5:45 AM
LAUSANNE, Switzerland - IOC leaders dropped wrestling from the program for the 2020 Olympics on Tuesday, an official familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
In a surprise move, the IOC executive board decided to retain modern pentathlon , the sport considered most at risk , and remove wrestling instead, the official said.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision hadn't been announced yet.
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 combines freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines. It had 11 medal events in freestyle and seven in Greco-Roman at last year's London Olympics.
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 mean, I'm not a follower of wrestling, but to me it was one of the bedrock Olympic events. Now it has to vie with wakeboarding and wushu (among others) for inclusion.
STEPHEN WILSON , The Associated Press
Posted: Tuesday, February 12, 2013, 5:45 AM
LAUSANNE, Switzerland - IOC leaders dropped wrestling from the program for the 2020 Olympics on Tuesday, an official familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
In a surprise move, the IOC executive board decided to retain modern pentathlon , the sport considered most at risk , and remove wrestling instead, the official said.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision hadn't been announced yet.
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 combines freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines. It had 11 medal events in freestyle and seven in Greco-Roman at last year's London Olympics.
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...
IIRC, wrestling, along with the marathon, was one of the two original sports in the ancient olympics. The playing field is simple, the opponent's weight is almost identical, there's no teammates or fancy equipment to rely on...just your mind and your body. It is the most physically demanding 6 minutes in athletics. As the saying goes, those who can, wrestle. Those who can't play basketball. Wrestling is pure athletics. Nice job IOC
Then again, wrestling is Iran's best sport so IYF Ahmadinjad!
This is really astonishing as it one of the original Olympic sports and is a truly international sport, as opposed to baseball and softball. The IOC screwed the pooch on this one.
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
- Thomas Jefferson, in letter to William S. Smith, 1787
I'm no fan of wrestling and I can't say I've ever watched it in the Olympics, BUT this is ludicrous. Any country can do it with very little funding, it was an original sport, it is all amateur athletes (AFAIK) and it is man against man. If they want to get rid of a similar sport, try women's judo. I actually did watch a gold medal match last Olympics and it was the most stupid thing I've ever seen. I think the final was 1-0 with just a ton of stalling by the "winner".
So stupid. As others have said wrestling is one of the most primal, and one of our oldest sports. Yet they keep in badmitton, table tennis, BMX and rythmic gynmastics.
Anything judged should be closer to the chopping block than anthing timed, measured, or based on achieving points. Wrestling clearly falls in the latter category.
CAA Flagship wrote:Anything judged should be closer to the chopping block than anthing timed, measured, or based on achieving points. Wrestling clearly falls in the latter category.
I agree. Diving, gymnastics and figure skateing may take incredible athletcism, but they are closer to a dance or cheerleading competition than a sport due to the fact that they are judged.
Real sports have clear winners decided by points scored or by recording the best time.
I mean, I'm not a follower of wrestling, but to me it was one of the bedrock Olympic events. Now it has to vie with wakeboarding and wushu (among others) for inclusion.
CAA Flagship wrote:Anything judged should be closer to the chopping block than anthing timed, measured, or based on achieving points. Wrestling clearly falls in the latter category.
I agree. Diving, gymnastics and figure skateing may take incredible athletcism, but they are closer to a dance or cheerleading competition than a sport due to the fact that they are judged.
Real sports have clear winners decided by points scored or by recording the best time.
Vidav wrote:I didn't even know they were still having the Olympics.
I thought China bought the rights to the Olympics.
"What I'm saying is: You might have taken care of your wolf problem, but everyone around town is going to think of you as the crazy son of a bitch who bought land mines to get rid of wolves."
grizzaholic wrote:
I thought China bought the rights to the Olympics.
Not yet. They bought the judges though.
Probably with barbie dolls, tonka trucks, and gummy bears.
"What I'm saying is: You might have taken care of your wolf problem, but everyone around town is going to think of you as the crazy son of a bitch who bought land mines to get rid of wolves."
andy7171 wrote:Anyone else watch Mark Henry beat Randy Orton last Friday?
What a horrible example, Andy. These two have NO connection to amateur wrestling (either freestyle or Greco). Henry IS an Olympian, however. He qualified but did not medal in weightlifting in 1992 and 1996. Orton is merely a third-generation "pro" with no talent whatsoever.
You'd do better to speak of Kurt Angle, who won the 1995 World Championship and the 1996 Olympics (both held in Atlanta) in the 100 kg freestyle class. He also tried to make a comeback for the 2012 Olympics. He will be PISSED if this bogus move pans out.
SuperHornet's Athletics Hall of Fame includes Jacksonville State kicker Ashley Martin, the first girl to score in a Division I football game. She kicked 3 PATs in a 2001 game for J-State.
