Topic: IOC drops wrestling from 2020 Olympics

[Pandora]

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — 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.

They've eliminated a sport that goes back to the 1800s, but they've decided to keep synchronized swimming.  Oy.

[Glock32]

And heck, even before the modern Olympics wrestling was one of the main sports. The marathon, and Greek wrestling, that was the ancient game I thought.

How long before target shooting is deemed too politically incorrect?  I'm actually surprised it's lasted this long.

[Libertas]

Wrestling, the Marathon, Spears and stuff go back to ancient Greece...

IOC is retarded.  But so is the UN and every other multi-national NGO outfit!

 

[charlesoakwood]

I stopped watching the Olympics because 1)they spent too much time on venues (ice skating) that I am not particularly interested in while, at the same time, further putting me off by their incessant and inane observations; 2) venues that were interesting, such as wrestling or the pentathlon were either not covered, aired at the midnight hour or so poorly covered that it was frustrating to watch. - Just another example of the emasculating and dumbing of the first, second, and third world's population.

[Pandora]

The emotional "back-stories" and the "soft focus" is what put me off.  Just show the damn event, I thought, I don't care about the sob-story bios and such.

[AlanS]

The emotional "back-stories" and the "soft focus" is what put me off.  Just show the damn event, I thought, I don't care about the sob-story bios and such.

Exactly. I'm married with children and have enough drama at home. That's why I don't like "reality" TV.

[ToddF]

1800s?  I was about to say it's an original sport, but it's not after checking the wikitubes. 

Wrestling "only" dates to 708BC, 68 years after the first Olympics. 

[Libertas]

Maybe Ray can make the Olympic boxing team, what a powerful uppercut!

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/13/is-this-the-worst-flop-youve-ever-seen-boxing-match-featuring-ex-nfl-player-ends-in-laughable-fashion/

       

[IronDioPriest]

If you are ever remotely familiar with MMA and the UFC, you'll likely appreciate Chael Sonnen's take on this.

Chael Sonnen Blasts Wrestling's Removal From Olympics

[IronDioPriest]

I think Chael Sonnen (video above) has this right. The entire sport will die without the Olympics every 4 years as a test and goal for the elite athletes who wrestle. This is among the oldest sports in human history, and one with valuable real-world application. It should stay. I think it's important enough to fight for.

I also think that Dana White and the Fertitta brothers (president and owners of UFC) should get actively involved in this. Some of the best mixed martial artists who fight in the UFC come from a strong wrestling background. College wrestling champions who have spent their entire lives wrestling are a staple in the UFC. Take away the impetus for school sports programs at every level to include wrestling on their rosters, and the UFC will be harmed.

Generally I am against private business lobbying for things that will result in decisions about spending tax dollars. But lobbying the Olympic committee to keep wrestling so that schools keep wrestling would be one step removed from actually lobbying for schools to keep wrestling. I know I would do it if I was White. He has a loud mouth, a charismatic personality, and a platform from the fastest growing professional sport in the world. He should use it.

White should hold a press conference with Sonnen (a charismatic spokesman himself), and grab as many other high profile people as he can... his stable of UFC champions, former NCAA champs and Olympic champs, etc. They should publicly support Branstad.

IOWA GOV. BRANSTAD LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO KEEP WRESTLING IN OLYMPICS
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad (R) launched a petition drive on Friday that he hopes will turn into a national and international campaign to get wrestling reinstated as an Olympic sport.

Calling the surprise announcement by the International Olympic Committee last week to get rid of wrestling from the 2020 games via secret ballot "short-sighted" and a "significant departure from Olympic tradition," Branstad said wrestling was a "part of the fabric of Iowa," and that puts Iowans "in a strong position" to advocate for wrestling.

Legendary U.S. Olympian Dan Gable, the 1972 gold medalist who also coached wrestling at Iowa for over 20 years, winning 16 NCAA team titles, joined him for the announcement in Des Moines, Iowa, where the state's high school wrestling championships were taking place. So did Iowa Lieutenant Gov. Kim Reynolds, University of Iowa associate head wrestling coach Terry Brands and University of Northern Iowa wrestling coach Doug Schwab.

Gable said the petition will "merge to the national and international level" and noted that since there is a precedent for a sport being reinstated, the fight will be less difficult. Branstad said he was using funds from his reelection campaign committee to finance the effort because there just was not enough to get "appropriation" for state funds.

Branstad said the Let's Keep Wrestling campaign would go "beyond the state of Iowa." In fact, Russia, Iran, and the United States, three countries that do not agree on much, all strongly criticized the IOC's decision to exclude wrestling from the 2020 Games.

"This is bigger than our state," Branstad said, while noting "Iowa is kinda the epicenter of" wrestling. "When wrestling in threatened, the number one elected official in the state, the governor, I believe, should lead the fight.”
Interested parties can sign the petition on the "Let's Keep Wrestling" website.

"Wrestling is one of the oldest sports in the Olympics, and the International Olympic Committee has put it on the chopping block for 2020," the site says. "Join Governor Branstad, Lieutenant Governor Reynolds and fellow Iowans in opposing this affront to the Olympic tradition by signaling your support for Olympic wrestling below. Let's Keep Wrestling!"

"Bottom line is wrestling is good for the economy," Gable said at the press conference. "When you're good for the economy you're going to survive."

[RickZ]

I think Chael Sonnen (video above) has this right. The entire sport will die without the Olympics every 4 years as a test and goal for the elite athletes who wrestle. This is among the oldest sports in human history, and one with valuable real-world application. It should stay. I think it's important enough to fight for.

Oh c'mon.  How is wrestling more important that rhythmic dancing?

[Libertas]

OK, Rick.  Now fess up, how long did you chuckle when you wrote that?   

[RickZ]

No, sorry, I don't chuckle; I guffaw.

[Libertas]

 

[Miltrainer]

I'm really pissed that they are considering it's removal. I have participated in many sports in my life time and wrestling was by far the most grueling and difficult. I was very upset about the coverage they gave it last Olympics. I had extended TV and it was hardly covered.
What really got my ire was that the Olympic coverage was on approximately 5 to 6 different channels. I set up my DVR to record any coverage with wrestling in it. To my disgust,  any program that had wrestling in it either didn't show it at the time stated or they gave it 2 minutes of coverage during a two hour window. 

The only think I think they could possibly change in wrestling would be to change it to Folk-style wrestling. I feel that is a little more difficult and interesting. They also score a few more points with it. It ain't all about upper body strength like the current Grecko roman style.

[Libertas]

I thought I heard UofM coach say he thinks the politics is such that a lot of Eastern European countries could object to this and help kill it.