Olympics drop wrestling

**HFCS** · 02-12-2013, 09:11 AM

If the oldest sport and original olympic sport is dropped for WAKEBOARDING, I will renounce citizenship of this planet.

**jbhtexas** · 02-12-2013, 09:13 AM

I have to wonder if there isn't at least a little bit of a "political correctness" aspect to this, in getting rid of a "combat" type sport. Boxing is probably first choice of that type of sport to get the PC axe, but I suspect there would be quite a backlash from some of the smaller countries that are strong in boxing, especially since some of those same countries are strong in baseball, which already got the axe...

**Knownothing** · 02-12-2013, 09:15 AM

Well there are like 5 states in the United States that actually care about wrestling. Iowa, Okie, Penn, Neb and a another. Then there are like 10 countries that participate. So getting rid of a sport nobody even pays attention to makes sense. It's a dying sport. It get's killed by other sports like beach volleyball and other up tempo sports. Just because everyone in Iowa likes it. Does not make it a good sport for the World.

**isukendall** · 02-12-2013, 09:16 AM

Ridiculous news. Extremely livid over this decision.

**VeloClone** · 02-12-2013, 09:17 AM

I think wrestling is a hell of a lot more relevant than these:

Handball
Table tennis
Fencing
Badminton
Eventing (I'll bet most have to look this one up.)
Canoe Sprint
Kayak Sprint

**VeloClone** · 02-12-2013, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by jbhtexas

I have to wonder if there isn't at least a little bit of a "political correctness" aspect to this, in getting rid of a "combat" type sport. Boxing is probably first choice of that type of sport to get the PC axe, but I suspect there would be quite a backlash from some of the smaller countries that are strong in boxing, especially since some of those same countries are strong in baseball, which already got the axe...

Then why keep modern pentathalon that includes fencing and shooting? I already know the reason. Read Isuska's link and see who is the proponent of that sport. Politics.

**CLONECONES** · 02-12-2013, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by VeloClone

I think wrestling is a hell of a lot more relevant than these:

Handball
Table tennis
Fencing
Badminton
Eventing (I'll bet most have to look this one up.)
Canoe Sprint
Kayak Sprint

As much as I agree with you - Eventing is actually pretty cool to watch in person, on TV I could see where it may lack a certain luster of appeal

**3TrueFans** · 02-12-2013, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by VeloClone

I think wrestling is a hell of a lot more relevant than these:

Handball
Table tennis
Fencing
Badminton
Eventing (I'll bet most have to look this one up.)
Canoe Sprint
Kayak Sprint

Yeah they could get rid of the horse sports too. The other ones on the list are more watchable than wrestling though.

**Judoka** · 02-12-2013, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by Knownothing

Then there are like 10 countries that participate.

71 nations qualified for the Olympic in wrestling in 2012. More countries participated in qualifiers and did not have anyone make it. There are likely more countries engaged in wrestling than there are individuals engaged in Modern Pentathlon.

**isukendall** · 02-12-2013, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by Knownothing

Well there are like 5 states in the United States that actually care about wrestling. Iowa, Okie, Penn, Neb and a another. Then there are like 10 countries that participate. So getting rid of a sport nobody even pays attention to makes sense. It's a dying sport. It get's killed by other sports like beach volleyball and other up tempo sports. Just because everyone in Iowa likes it. Does not make it a good sport for the World.

Your handle is appropriate for your post.

Recent U.S. Olympic champion wrestling champions have have had their roots in places such as Colorado, New Jersey, California, Utah, Wyoming, Minnesota. The places you name are where the premier colleges are, but that does not limit wrestling talent or fanbase to five states and ten countries in the world.

Not considering wrestling an "up-tempo" sport is laughable. If you don't understand anything about the sport, maybe you should learn more before contributing to its demise. Have fun watching badminton in 2020.

**VeloClone** · 02-12-2013, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by Knownothing

Well there are like 5 states in the United States that actually care about wrestling. Iowa, Okie, Penn, Neb and a another. Then there are like 10 countries that participate. So getting rid of a sport nobody even pays attention to makes sense. It's a dying sport. It get's killed by other sports like beach volleyball and other up tempo sports. Just because everyone in Iowa likes it. Does not make it a good sport for the World.

Get your facts straight. There were at least 65 nations that had a wrestler qualify for the 2012 Olympics. Great Britian failed to qualify a wrestler but was given spot(s) as the host nation - that makes 66. And other nations who tried but couldn't get a wrestler to make the cut also participated in the Olympic qualifying. That is no different than nations having to qualify in other sports like basketball.

It is still an internationally relevant sport.

**1100011CS** · 02-12-2013, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by Knownothing

Well there are like 5 states in the United States that actually care about wrestling. Iowa, Okie, Penn, Neb and a another. Then there are like 10 countries that participate. So getting rid of a sport nobody even pays attention to makes sense. It's a dying sport. It get's killed by other sports like beach volleyball and other up tempo sports. Just because everyone in Iowa likes it. Does not make it a good sport for the World.

...and you continue to live up to your handle.

**Judoka** · 02-12-2013, 09:29 AM

Check out this member of the IOC executive board...

Mr Juan Antonio SAMARANCH JR Entry in the IOC 2001
Country ESP (Spain) - Born 01 November 1959
Sports practised Skiing, golf, running, tennis

From Wikipedia:

He is a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2001, representing Spain. He's also a member of the Spanish Olympic Committee[2] and first vice-president of the International Modern Pentathlon Union since 1996.

A guy who is paid to be an advocate of Modern Pentathlon is a member of the IOC committee that chose not to eliminate Modern Pentathlon from the Olympics.

The IOC doesn't even pretend to hide blatant corruption.

**Karsten21** · 02-12-2013, 09:34 AM

Is the IOC losing money or something?? One of the oldest sports known to man and they are dropping it. This sounds like title 9 but only on the international scale.

**Go2Guy** · 02-12-2013, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by HFCS

If the oldest sport and original olympic sport is dropped for WAKEBOARDING, I will renounce citizenship of this planet.

I agree; of all the stoopid, irrelevant events to drop - like Modern Pentathlon, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Synchronized Diving, what was the IOC thinking in dropping one of the oldest sports dating back to the original games in Greece.