The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has, shockingly, decided to drop wrestling from the Summer Olympics. In a report dated Feb. 12 from the Los Angeles Times, wrestling will appear for the final time in the Summer Olympics in 2016 before removed from the games in 2020.
Wrestling has been a part of the modern Summer Olympics since 1896. It is one of the oldest sports in the Summer Olympics. It was also part of the original Olympics which started in Greece many centuries ago.
“I'm not a fan of wrestling, despite graduating from [Oklahoma State University, but I can't imagine it not being in the Olympics,” Jeff Roberts, from Oklahoma City, said. “It is a real sport. It has been a part of the games since the beginning. I think there were other sports that could have been and should have been cut instead of wrestling.”
The IOC reviewed all of the 26 sports currently in the Summer Olympic program. Wrestling, taekwondo, field hockey and the modern pentathlon were on the chopping block. It was wrestling that got the ax.
By removing wrestling, the International Olympic Committee is now able to add another sport to the Summer Olympics later this year. At the time of publication, it was unknown what sport would be added.
There were 344 athletes that participated in some form of wrestling during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London last year. There was a grand total of 11 medal events in wrestling at that time.
There are a total of eight sports that will apply for inclusion in the 2020 Summer Olympics. Those include baseball and softball, wushu, karate, wakeboarding, squash, sport climbing and roller sports. It is believed that wrestling will not be voted back into the Summer Olympics.
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