IOC Drops Wrestling from 2020 Olympic Games - East Idaho News
Sports

IOC Drops Wrestling from 2020 Olympic Games

  Published at

Getty S 21212 IOC?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1360684772351JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images(LAUSANNE, Switzerland) — One of the oldest sports in the Olympics will be no more as the International Olympic Committee has dropped wrestling from the 2020 games.

The surprise decision was made to remove wrestling from it’s list of 25 “core sports.” Eliminating one sport will allow the IOC to add a sport to the program later this year.

The sport of wrestling goes all the way back to the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens back 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 Olympics games in 2020. It’s not a case of what’s wrong with wrestling, it is what’s right with the 25 core sports.”

IOC officials weighed in such factors as television ratings, ticket sales, anti-doping policy and global participation and popularity.

Wrestling will now join seven other sports that will apply for inclusion in the 2020 games. The others include baseball and softball, karate, squash, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding, and wushu. All will be vying for one spot in 2020.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION