Wrestling Dropped from Olympics

riffmongous

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/21427455

Announced today, wrestling is to be dropped as an Olympic sport from 2020 onwards, however there is still a chance it can get in but it has to apply. The competition being baseball/softball, squash, karate, sport climbing, wakeboarding, wushu and roller sports none of which I would really see as Olympic sports but according to the bbc article it is 'extremely unlikely' it will get in again quickly.

This is really disappointing to see, wrestling is one of the foundation sports of the olympics and has always had a great tradition..

arybvtcw0eolkf

Thank God they kept the synchronized swimming, table tennis & golf :rolleyes:

MaeveD

... and curling!

tritium

But of course they still find room for any sports with sponsorship deals from Nike and so on. A pretty sad decision when you think this was one of the original Olympic sports (ok not exactly the same form but you get what I mean). Meanwhile basketball, beach volleyball and dozens Of different swimming disciplines get a pass

SDTimeout

Arabella Small Ferret wrote: »

Thank God they kept the synchronized swimming, table tennis & golf :rolleyes:

and judo

Rastadoyle

its all about the money and wrestling doesnt bring in the money

Stephen_King

This has been on the way for awhile now, the Americans have been quietly shutting down their collegiate wrestling funding over the past few years-

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=71222418

It was only a matter of time before the IOC dropped it, and now it’s gone its likely going to be the end for collegiate wrestling in the States. There’s very little incentive for colleges to give wrestling scholarships without the Olympics as an end goal, and without scholarships there won’t be half as many high school athletes taking it up either.

The really sickening thing about this is the countries that will be hit worst-the ex Soviet States, Japan, Iran-wrestling is one of the few sports where these countries have a chance of competing and getting gold.

It will be interesting to see how the elite level athlete’s s react. I know its seven years down the line, but seeing as 2016 will be the last event I'd imagine after the next 2016 Olympics we'll probably see a lot more of them crossing over to MMA or ADCC even fairly shortly. Wrestling could well make a comeback in a few years with submissions tossed back in


Anyone at the Dana White thing tonight ask him a question about it?

EoghanIRL

What we need is bog snorkling .

JohnMc1

riffmongous wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/21427455

Announced today, wrestling is to be dropped as an Olympic sport from 2020 onwards, however there is still a chance it can get in but it has to apply. The competition being baseball/softball, squash, karate, sport climbing, wakeboarding, wushu and roller sports none of which I would really see as Olympic sports but according to the bbc article it is 'extremely unlikely' it will get in again quickly.

This is really disappointing to see, wrestling is one of the foundation sports of the olympics and has always had a great tradition..

I thought Baseball was already in? I can't see Karate getting in. Too many different styles and too many different focuses. I can't see styles like Shotokan switching and becoming a Knock-down style like Kyokushin. And I can't see Kyokushin switching to a point fighting style.

Atleast their is still racewalking and badminton to look forward too.

BJJ_Expert

Sorry to hear that, it will be a big blow to wrestling. I'd rather see wrestling stay than shyte like synchronized swimming, walking etc :rolleyes: Wrestling was one of the orginal sports in the ancient Olympics if my memory serves me right.

Rubadubchub

How in the name of god is horse dancing (Dressage) classed as more olympian than wrestling - one of the oldest combat sports in history. What a joke.

Dyr

Rubadubchub wrote: »

How in the name of god is horse dancing (Dressage) classed as more olympian than wrestling - one of the oldest combat sports in history. What a joke.

Dressage would be classed as an combat sport, dates back to pre roman times too.

You don't hear much about elite wrestling formations winning battles, cavalry on the other hand...

manga_10

http://www.redhogwrestling.org.uk/wrestling-needs-your-support

Rubadubchub

Bambi wrote: »

Dressage would be classed as an combat sport, dates back to pre roman times too.

You don't hear much about elite wrestling formations winning battles, cavalry on the other hand...

If we use the logic of "which is more useful in battle" then easily more than half of the sports in the Olympics would be removed. Not sure how useful sychronised diving or curling would be in combat.

Also considering wrestling is one of the most effective methods of hand to hand combat (based on my opinion and its success in MMA) im sure it had its place in battle.

Bres

Stephen_King wrote: »

It will be interesting to see how the elite level athlete’s s react. I know its seven years down the line, but seeing as 2016 will be the last event I'd imagine after the next 2016 Olympics we'll probably see a lot more of them crossing over to MMA or ADCC even fairly shortly. Wrestling could well make a comeback in a few years with submissions tossed back in

They already have in the fila combat games They have Fila Grapling Gi and no-gi, Pankration and MMA it's getting bigger each year.

Martinetti resigned as president of Fila this is really going to help Wrestling.
It will still be in the olympics, its just weather or not both greco and freestyle will be in is the real question. Americans generally only progress from college wrestling into freestyle so it shouldn't effect them too much.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/story/2013/02/16/sp-ioc-olympics-wrestling-president-quits.html

manga_10

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3j5nTOGt7Kg&quot; frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

kumate_champ07

tritium wrote: »

But of course they still find room for any sports with sponsorship deals from Nike and so on. A pretty sad decision when you think this was one of the original Olympic sports (ok not exactly the same form but you get what I mean). Meanwhile basketball, beach volleyball and dozens Of different swimming disciplines get a pass

you cant compare beach volleyball with basketball.

Unpossible

tritium wrote: »

But of course they still find room for any sports with sponsorship deals from Nike and so on. A pretty sad decision when you think this was one of the original Olympic sports (ok not exactly the same form but you get what I mean). Meanwhile basketball, beach volleyball and dozens Of different swimming disciplines get a pass

As a swimmer I have to disagree, I would even argue that women's 1500m should be added. Mainly because its Grainne Murphy's best event.

Back on topic, I think it would be a shame if wrestling were dropped from the olympics.

tritium

Unpossible wrote: »

As a swimmer I have to disagree, I would even argue that women's 1500m should be added. Mainly because its Grainne Murphy's best event.

Back on topic, I think it would be a shame if wrestling were dropped from the olympics.

As someone once pointed out, awarding a gold medal fir backstroke is akin to running the hundred meters backward. It's not so much that swimming shouldnt be there as that splitting events based on both distance and technique is just too granular. Granted they're all valid swimming techniques but why not split taekwondo into roundhouse kick section, side kick section,..,...

Not meaning to be facetious. Just my two cents. I'm sure swimmers would strongly defend each event

tritium

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

you cant compare beach volleyball with basketball.

I think you'll find I just did.....

Why do you think it's invalid and which of the two do you think is the "real" sport?

ElWalrus

Just saw this on RTE sport.
http://www.rte.ie/sport/other-sport/2013/0302/371725-wrestling-champion-on-hunger-strike-over-axe/

Now I don't follow wrestling, only watch it during the Olympics when I try to cram every available hour of viewing in. However, removing it from the Olympics to facilitate 'big sponsorship' sports like golf is nonsense and totally goes against the spirit of the Olympic games.

Basically I feel that if an Olympic gold isn't the ultimate achievement in your discipline, it shouldn't be in the games. And in the example of golf, that would be winning a Major. Sure, an Olympic gold would be a nice bonus for the professional players, but I imagine they wouldn't be too miffed if they just got their taste of the Olympic village and that was it. Same goes for professional soccer and tennis players.

Just look at what gold medal means to athletes when it is the pinnacle of their sport. Anyway, kudos to the athlete's taking a stand on it. And it did provide a classic quote:

"From now on I will drink only syrup" - Armen Nazaryan

CIARAN_BOYLE

ElWalrus wrote: »

Just saw this on RTE sport.
http://www.rte.ie/sport/other-sport/2013/0302/371725-wrestling-champion-on-hunger-strike-over-axe/

Now I don't follow wrestling, only watch it during the Olympics when I try to cram every available hour of viewing in. However, removing it from the Olympics to facilitate 'big sponsorship' sports like golf is nonsense and totally goes against the spirit of the Olympic games.

Basically I feel that if an Olympic gold isn't the ultimate achievement in your discipline, it shouldn't be in the games. And in the example of golf, that would be winning a Major. Sure, an Olympic gold would be a nice bonus for the professional players, but I imagine they wouldn't be too miffed if they just got their taste of the Olympic village and that was it. Same goes for professional soccer and tennis players.

Just look at what gold medal means to athletes when it is the pinnacle of their sport. Anyway, kudos to the athlete's taking a stand on it. And it did provide a classic quote:

The olympics is essentially an U23 world cup with a couple of exception players. That said it certainly is an event that puts a lot of bums on seats .

kumate_champ07

tritium wrote: »

I think you'll find I just did.....

Why do you think it's invalid and which of the two do you think is the "real" sport?

dont be silly.

tritium

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

dont be silly.

I'm not being silly.

I suspect you like one of these sports so are quite happy to have it in the Olympics. That doesn't change the fact that both sports in their current Olympic are basically in the Olympics as a Nike marketers wet dream. Whether it's the multi millionaire NBA dream team putting a couple of hundred points on some poor suckers or the "don't those 6 foot women look good in tight kit" mentality of the introduction of beach volleyball. Neither comes within an asses roar of the original Olympic ideals. Thats not a criticism of the athletes who compete- I have nothing but respect for anyone who strives to be the best in their chosen sport, however as currently promoted they're frankly an embarrassment to the Olympic ideal regardless of the asses on seats argument. Unfortunately that's the only argument that carries any weight at the moment.

witty username

back for 2020...thank fup

http://www.espn.co.uk/olympic-sports/sport/story/236327.html

Mellor

witty username wrote: »

back for 2020...thank fup

http://www.espn.co.uk/olympic-sports/sport/story/236327.html

No surprise really.
When it was removed and put into the same pot as the hopeful sports, it had an easy route back.