The International Olympic Committee has voted to drop wrestling from the 2020 Summer Olympics program, IOC spokesman Mark Adams told reporters at a press conference in Switzerland.
Wrestling could be dropped as Olympic sport in 2020
Wrestling will vie against baseball and softball, among other sports, for inclusion in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Al Bello
While the vote does leave wrestling on the outside looking in, it doesn’t necessarily mean the end for the sport. It will be one of eight sports, including baseball and softball, that is vying for inclusion, according to Christopher Elser and Dan Baynes of The Associated Press:
Wrestling will join baseball and softball, which are seeking inclusion as two disciplines under a single sports banner, karate, roller sports, squash, sport climbing, wakeboard and the Chinese martial art of wushu in trying to get added to the 2020 schedule.
The IOC executive board is scheduled to meet on May 29 and have a three-day deliberation regarding the inclusion of sports for the 2020 program before a vote in September officially decides. During the September meeting, the IOC will also decide the host city for the 2020 Summer Olympics between the final three candidates: Instabul, Tokyo and Madrid.
In 2009, the IOC elected to add golf and rugby sevens to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero. Golf last appeared in the Olympics in 1904 and rugby sevens will be making its Olympic debut.
Wrestling was said to be introduced during the ancient Olympic games over 2,000 years ago, before it was part of the modern Olympic games, beginning in 1896. It has since been an event in every Olympics with the exception of the 1900 games. Women’s wrestling was introduced in 2004.
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