Wrestling Eliminated from Olympics

[BigB08822]

I can't stand wrestling and you could probably not pay me to watch it but it is one of the ancient Olympic sports, isn't it? This seems completely wrong. People win Olympic medals for riding horses and shooting guns but wrestling doesn't fit the bill? I guess I am part of the problem by not caring about the sport but it isn't as if I can EVER remember seeing it on television and I watch everything that is on during the Olympics.

[Jenny]

I do wonder about sports that are more about accuracy than athleticism and the higher/faster/stronger motto. I always liked the combined event of cross country skiing and shooting, but for other shooting events, what's next? Darts? Billiards? Horseshoes?

I realize there's a lot of skill involved and some level of specialized fitness, but anything where you can compete at a high level and still be out of shape doesn't seem to fit into the spirit of the Olympics to me. (I'm looking at you, curling!)

[love_skate2011]

WTF, one of the original ancient Olympic sports taken out !

why cant they remove ping pong, equestrian, handball , shooting and dressage !!

[skipaway]

Washington Post Article

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

[love_skate2011]

Washington Post Article

what is wushu ?

[skipaway]

what is wushu ?

A form of full contact Martial Arts.

Wushu

Do we not already have enough MA sports in the Olympics?

[DarrellH]

sailing?

[skipaway]

sailing?

Interesting guess Darrell.

[GarrAarghHrumph]

It just makes no sense to me that they'd eliminate a sport that is so, in a way, egalitarian. Many, many nations do well in this sport, even nations that have very few, if any, other elite athletes compete at the elite level in wrestling.

The sport, relative to many, costs very little to get involved in, and it has such a long history. That it was even one of the finalists to be eliminated shocked me. Then to learn that it had been chosen for elimination!

[maatTheViking]

of those listed, I only see wrestling and sport climbing as good Olympic sports. Karate or Wushu would be fine if they chuck taekwondo - but I think you can only have so many martial arts, and wrestling seem to be very basic to me.

Shooting and possible curling is the only sport where I think you can participate and 'not be fit' as someone said. If you think you can do equestrian or Ping-Pong without being fit you will be sorely mistaken.

I would personally be very sad if they remove equestrian, as I am a rider myself, but on the other hand, it is an extremely elitist sport (top horses can run in double digit millions, you will most likely need a sponsor good sponsor. Very few ride on their own horses, though some do), it is almost always the same 4-5 nations on top, with about a 7-10 nation spread for all the disciplines together. It would be extremely hard for any nation to start a program for this, it is just so damn expensive, and so hard to get good training opportunities.
In addition, it can be a real headache for the organizers, it is a very expensive event to put on.
It is, however, an excellent para Olympic sport, and that might be why it is pretty safe. Is wrestling possible at the para Olympics?

[Jenny]

In principle, I don't mind equestrian sports because it's almost like a pairs team - two athletes working together. But you're right, it's a very expensive sport (then again, the same could be said for anything that requires expensive equipment and training), and how many countries participate?

The bigger issue is the horse though - they need to be transported in special planes all over the world. I'm sure they are treated well, but it doesn't really seem like something that would be traumatic for the animals.

Also, golf would be another one where you can win without being fit. There are certainly some strong golfers, but there are a lot of chubby golfers and guys that don't look particularly fit too.

[love_skate2011]

my beef with a sport involving horses is that the horse gets much of the physical strain yet it gets no medal of recognition
dressage or equestrian should give the medal to the horse not the human !

[Buzz]

Disgusting and utterly disappointing. Hope they change their minds but never worry; golf is back! (Sarcasum)

[manhn]

Have you seen some of those curlers lately? They're hot!

[BlueRidge]

What are the 25 sports that are included in the Summer Olys?

One thing to me is that for Oly sports the Olys should be the pinnacle. This was true of wrestling but isn't for all the other sports.

[Skittl1321]

Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Badmington, Basketball, Boxing, Canoe/Kayak, Cycling, Equestrian, Fencing, Football (Soccer), Golf, Gymnastics, Handball, Field Hockey, Judo, Rowing, Rugby, Modern Pentathalon, Sailing, Shooting, Table Tennis, Taekwando, Tennis, Triathalon, Volleyball, Weightlifting, Wrestling are what are listed on Olympic.org. This is obviously more than 25.


(It lists 7 winter sports: Biathalon, Bobsled, Curling, Ice Hockey, Luge, Skating, and Skiing.)

[Garden Kitty]

Utterly ridiculous. It's more popular than modern pentathlon in terms of spectator appeal and participation, there haven't been too many doping scandals that I can think of, and it's not dominated by one country. And it's been in the Olympics since Ancient times.

Lots of discussion that Samaranch's son being VP of the modern pentathlon federation (and a member of the IOC) helped keep that sport in. The number of countries who participate in modern pentathlon at the Olympics is a lot fewer than the countries that send wrestlers.

Personally, I never enjoyed watching wrestling and the rules were sort of confusing, so I'm not too upset, but it does seem wrong that one of the original Olympic sports is kicked out like this. I also don't like sports in the Olympics for whom the Olympics isn't really the biggest event. That's why even though I'm a cycling fan, I wouldn't mind if it weren't included.

[sk8er1964]

Also, golf would be another one where you can win without being fit. There are certainly some strong golfers, but there are a lot of chubby golfers and guys that don't look particularly fit too.

Not at the professional level. These guys are walking four miles every day, plus swinging the club, lifting weights, etc. What they do isn't an aerobic exercise, but you cannot be out of shape and be a successful pro golfer.

[Jenny]

I'm just going by the number of golfers I see with noticeable paunches, double chins and flabby arms. I'm not saying it's not hard work, but when I think of an "athlete" golfers are nowhere near the first that come to mind.

Related question - whatever happened to the idea of amateur sport? Is it just too hard to draw a line anymore, now that just about everyone has sponsors, and to be competitive, you pretty much have to train/compete full time?

[allezfred]

Lots of discussion that Samaranch's son being VP of the modern pentathlon federation (and a member of the IOC) helped keep that sport in. The number of countries who participate in modern pentathlon at the Olympics is a lot fewer than the countries that send wrestlers.

Modern Pentathlon is also the brainchild of Baron de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics. It's going nowhere.

I'll be if wrestling gets kicked out. It's the only time its socially acceptable to watch sweaty and scantily clad grown men engage in mild frottage on daytime TV.