Wrestling out at Olympics in 2020 (1 Viewer)

[Dre]

IOC drops wrestling from 2020 Olympics | OlympicTalk

I'm not big into wrestling, but I think it is a good Olympic sport because of the importance of power, strength, agility, flexibility, and skill. It does has a chance of getting brought back in, but it is going to be a tough road.

 

[saintmdterps]

And ballroom dancing, ping-pong, and dressage are part of the program?

In my mind anyway, the olympics sold out when professional athletes were allowed to compete.

The continuing push for more "marketable", which you can read as female-watched, sports continues. Just look at how much airtime boxing gets, and this has been so since studies showed that when a boxing event was on 75% of women changed the channel.

 

[lades]

The Olympics are now the Ex-Olympics.

 

[wyrmer]

The problem is that the sport is thoroughly corrupted and several of the latest Olympics and world championships have been shaken by accusations of rampant corruption and bribery.

 

[PayOrPlay]

Hey, as long as they don't mess with field hockey . . .

Eva De Goede and Ellen Hoog Swimsuit Photos - Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2013

Seriously, I'll be interested to see if more comes out about this decision. It's an ancient sport and it's energetically contested in parts of the world (like Iran and some of the former-Soviet "-stans") that don't have a lot of stake in many other Olympic events. And some of the more influential countries can't be thrilled either: That's a lot of Russian, Chinese, and even American medals that just went by the wayside.

(See, for example: Wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; Wrestling at the 2012 Summer Olympics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

 

[tenordas]

What a horrible decision. Pretty sure cycling is RIFE with corruption as are track events. I don't see them being dropped. Wrestling is a classic Olympic sport and it's unfathomable that the IOC would drop it. Sheer stupidity. Will they be removing the snatch and the clean and jerk next? After all, someone there has probably used steroids and gotten away with it at some point (and in the subject that they actually care about, I suspect there are very few viewers on the rare occasions they actually show any of it).

Ratings are all that matters, it's show business, baby. The actual intent of the Olympics was shoved under the carpet years ago. I think it now has been thrown out the door officially.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

**** news
And im getting damned tired of all of these corrupt organizations- IOC, NFL, FIFA, NBA, ESPN, whatever the cycling organizations - screwing up awesome sports

 

[Lurkaholic]

 

[panther17]

Getting rid of wrestling in the Olympics is like getting rid of sex in porn. It just doesn't make sense. It is one of it not the oldest sport of the Olympics. The IOC has become the Goodell of the Olympics. Some traditions shouldn't be changed.

Change.org petition

Probably won't do much but it doesn't hurt to try.

 

[wizard1183]

The reason they're doing away with it is because its taking time out for figure skating!

 

[Galbreath34]

So, the other shoe drops. Cutting wrestling makes space for either BMX freestyle or 3-on-3 hoops now.

Olympics mulling addition of 3-on-3 basketball, BMX - ESPN

Instead of encouraging female wrestling in Greco-Roman, they just dropped wrestling altogether, because they want to balance gender participation.

Dubi is also awaiting reports from wrestling body, which has an emergency meeting in Moscow next month. Wrestling's gender issues played a part in the IOC board's recommendation to drop both Greco-Roman and freestyle disciplines from the 2020 program.

"Yes, that was always a controversy that they didn't have women for Greco," acknowledged Dubi, with seven men's events and none for women in London. "I will be interested to see what they will propose for Rio."

I'd rather watch relatively amateur women wrestle than watch some kid take home a gold medal for spinning a BMX handlebar. That's what the X-games are for.

 

[jrdbrn]

They're just cutting sports that no one watches. Adding new action sports. Olympics is still boring.

 

[buzd]

They need summer curling.

 

[Galbreath34]

Just combine events. Shot put gets bonus distance for hitting 100m runners. A little added excitement for both events.

 

[Galbreath34]

They need summer curling.

Hard to beat.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CM5mFH3_Qhs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Saint_Ward]

I'd love to find an article, but I remember it being said that wrestling was taken off the "auto in" sports, but could be voted in with BMX, etc. I thought that was the IOC's way of rigging the election in Wrestling's favor.