The International Olympic Committee (IOC) leaders on Tuesday dropped
wrestling from the Olympic programme, 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 IOC to add a new sport to the
program later this year.
Wrestling, which combines freestyle and Greco-Roman events, goes back to the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.
“This is a process of renewing and renovating the program for the
Olympics,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. “In the view of the executive
board, this was the best program for the Olympic Games in 2020. It’s not
a case of what’s wrong with wrestling; it is what’s right with the 25
core sports.”
Secret ballot decision
Adams said the decision was made by secret ballot over several rounds,
with members voting each time on which sport should not be included in
the core group. The figures were not disclosed. IOC President Jacques
Rogge did not vote.
Wrestling featured 344 athletes competing in 11 medal events in
freestyle and seven in Greco-Roman at last year’s London Olympics.
Women’s wrestling was added to the Olympics at the 2004 Athens Games.
Wrestling will now join seven other sports in applying for inclusion in
2020. The others are a combined bid from baseball and softball, karate,
squash, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu. They will
be vying for a single opening in 2020.
The IOC executive board will meet in May in St. Petersburg, Russia, to
decide which sport or sports to propose for 2020 inclusion. The final
vote will be made at the IOC session, or general assembly, in September
in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
It is extremely unlikely that wrestling would be voted back in so soon after being removed by the executive board.
“Today’s decision is not final,” Adams said. “The session is sovereign and the session will make the final decision.”
The last sports removed from the Olympics were baseball and softball,
voted out by the IOC in 2005 and off the program since the 2008 Beijing
Games. Golf and rugby will be joining the program at the 2016 Games in
Rio de Janeiro.
In-depth analysis
The IOC program commission report analysed more than three dozen
criteria, including television ratings, ticket sales, anti-doping policy
and global participation and popularity. With no official rankings or
recommendations contained in the report, the final decision by the
15-member board was also subject to political, emotional and sentimental
factors.
Previously considered under the closest scrutiny was modern pentathlon,
which has been on the Olympic program since the 1912 Stockholm Games. It
was created by French baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the
modern Olympic movement.
Modern pentathlon combines fencing, horse riding, swimming, running and
shooting, the five skills required of a 19th century cavalry officer.
The sport’s governing body, the UIPM, has been lobbying hard to protect
its Olympic status, and the efforts apparently paid off.
UIPM President Klaus Schormann had considered travelling from Germany to Lausanne for the decision, but decided to stay away.
“The Olympic movement always needs history,” Schormann said, ahead of
the IOC decision. “You cannot just say we look only at the future. You
can have a future when you are stable on the basic part of history.
We
are continuing to develop, to renovate, to be innovative and creative.
We are very proud of what we achieved so far and want to deliver this as
well for the next generations in 2020.”