[Robbie]

I just learned that wrestling was taken off the list of Olympic sports, but Modern Pentathlon was left on. That's crazy. Wrestling is a sporting competition in pure form. Essentially the same competition practiced since humanoids crawled out of the swamp. Why would you get rid of it? Fun to watch.

While Modern Pentathlon is an anachronistic combination of 19th century aristocratic pastimes.

I'll just have to add this to the list of stupid decisions made by the IOC.

[Robbie]

I just learned that wrestling was taken off the list of Olympic sports, but Modern Pentathlon was left on. That's crazy. Wrestling is a sporting competition in pure form. Essentially the same competition practiced since humanoids crawled out of the swamp. Why would you get rid of it? Fun to watch.

While Modern Pentathlon is an anachronistic combination of 19th century aristocratic pastimes.

I'll just have to add this to the list of stupid decisions made by the IOC.

[Bruce Wang]

When I lived in Singapore, I tried to convince some locals to form a Singapore curling team.

[Bruce Wang]

When I lived in Singapore, I tried to convince some locals to form a Singapore curling team.

[Kathy]

I just learned that wrestling was taken off the list of Olympic sports, but Modern Pentathlon was left on. That's crazy. Wrestling is a sporting competition in pure form. Essentially the same competition practiced since humanoids crawled out of the swamp. Why would you get rid of it? Fun to watch.

While Modern Pentathlon is an anachronistic combination of 19th century aristocratic pastimes.

I'll just have to add this to the list of stupid decisions made by the IOC.

An unfathomably moronic decision … wrestling is one of the original Olympic sports — it goes back to the ancient Games and has been in the modern Games since they began in 1896.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi...full.story

[Kathy]

I just learned that wrestling was taken off the list of Olympic sports, but Modern Pentathlon was left on. That's crazy. Wrestling is a sporting competition in pure form. Essentially the same competition practiced since humanoids crawled out of the swamp. Why would you get rid of it? Fun to watch.

While Modern Pentathlon is an anachronistic combination of 19th century aristocratic pastimes.

I'll just have to add this to the list of stupid decisions made by the IOC.

An unfathomably moronic decision … wrestling is one of the original Olympic sports — it goes back to the ancient Games and has been in the modern Games since they began in 1896.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi...full.story

[stupac2]

I'd be much more interested in Survivor becoming a Sears Cup sport.

[stupac2]

I'd be much more interested in Survivor becoming a Sears Cup sport.

[Redrum]

NPR reported today that one of the members of the IOC board itself  also serves on the whatever international body that organizes modern pentathalon competitions and competitors:  all 47 of 'em.

[Redrum]

NPR reported today that one of the members of the IOC board itself  also serves on the whatever international body that organizes modern pentathalon competitions and competitors:  all 47 of 'em.

[jayasena]

NPR reported today that one of the members of the IOC board itself  also serves on the whatever international body that organizes modern pentathalon competitions and competitors:  all 47 of 'em.

Saw somewhere that Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. is a big proponent of Modern Pentathlon and that had a significant influence on the decision. Not sure if that's the same person that NPR was referring to.

[jayasena]

NPR reported today that one of the members of the IOC board itself  also serves on the whatever international body that organizes modern pentathalon competitions and competitors:  all 47 of 'em.

Saw somewhere that Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. is a big proponent of Modern Pentathlon and that had a significant influence on the decision. Not sure if that's the same person that NPR was referring to.

[Farm93]

Some irony in the idea that the ancient, or original, pentathlon included....WRESTLING.

[Farm93]

Some irony in the idea that the ancient, or original, pentathlon included....WRESTLING.

[fullmetal]

Wrestling now has to compete with 7-8 other sports for what I think is one single spot on the 2020 program.  If wrestling doesn't get in, I vote we send the Marines into Switzerland and adjust some attitudes in the IOC's backroom of cronyism.

[fullmetal]

Wrestling now has to compete with 7-8 other sports for what I think is one single spot on the 2020 program.  If wrestling doesn't get in, I vote we send the Marines into Switzerland and adjust some attitudes in the IOC's backroom of cronyism.

[jayasena]

Here are the other sports wrestling is going up against for the 1 slot:  baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding and wushu.

I have a hard time envisioning how any of these could be seen as more relevant than wrestling at the Olympics (I can see the argument for US TV money behind softball and the long-term allure of baseball as has been pointed out by some observers but that still seems like a relatively weak argument).

Are one of these sports guaranteed to be added or can the IOC decide not to add any of them?

[jayasena]

Here are the other sports wrestling is going up against for the 1 slot:  baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding and wushu.

I have a hard time envisioning how any of these could be seen as more relevant than wrestling at the Olympics (I can see the argument for US TV money behind softball and the long-term allure of baseball as has been pointed out by some observers but that still seems like a relatively weak argument).

Are one of these sports guaranteed to be added or can the IOC decide not to add any of them?

[FarmBoy]

I can see the argument for adding any number of sports to the Olympics. It's the fact that WRESTLING was cut instead of "sports" like ping pong, rhythmic gymnastics, shooting, trampoline and archery. It's one of the few sports that you basically don't need any equipment to compete--two competitors, a room with a softish floor and a circle marking the boundaries.

One of the greatest, if not the greatest, Olympians ever was Russian wrestler Alexander Karelin. It would be sad if that legacy were wiped out.

[FarmBoy]

I can see the argument for adding any number of sports to the Olympics. It's the fact that WRESTLING was cut instead of "sports" like ping pong, rhythmic gymnastics, shooting, trampoline and archery. It's one of the few sports that you basically don't need any equipment to compete--two competitors, a room with a softish floor and a circle marking the boundaries.

One of the greatest, if not the greatest, Olympians ever was Russian wrestler Alexander Karelin. It would be sad if that legacy were wiped out.

[Kathy]

As Redrum notes, the fix was in. The modern pentathlon, designed to showcase the skills of the 19th-century Eastern European cavalryman, was widely expected to get the axe. In terms of global appeal, wrestling is easily more popular; 203 countries participated in Olympic wrestling at the 2012 London Games, compared to 26 countries competing in pentathlon.

But for VIP connections, pentathlon might have gone by the Olympic wayside this week:

For Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior, who is both an executive board member and a modern pentathlon vice-president, the decision was a good one.
"I am very sorry for wrestling as it is a sport I respect," the son of former IOC president Samaranch, told reporters.
"I cannot be surprised by the reaction because any sport would have created the same reaction."
Wrestling's surprise exit has been blamed by some on a lack of political support within the executive board, where other sports at risk - including modern pentathlon and taekwondo - had the upper hand with representatives in the 15-member group.
Asked whether his double capacity was a conflict of interest, Samaranch said: "I am here in my capacity as executive board member."

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/othe...mpics.html

The international backlash has been extraordinary, forging odd, temporary alliances among the likes of the United States, Iran and Russia. The choice for a host site of the 2020 Olympics may signify how all this shakes out. If Istanbul or Tokyo win the selection, wrestling probably stays; Madrid is a maybe.

[Kathy]

As Redrum notes, the fix was in. The modern pentathlon, designed to showcase the skills of the 19th-century Eastern European cavalryman, was widely expected to get the axe. In terms of global appeal, wrestling is easily more popular; 203 countries participated in Olympic wrestling at the 2012 London Games, compared to 26 countries competing in pentathlon.

But for VIP connections, pentathlon might have gone by the Olympic wayside this week:

For Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior, who is both an executive board member and a modern pentathlon vice-president, the decision was a good one.
"I am very sorry for wrestling as it is a sport I respect," the son of former IOC president Samaranch, told reporters.
"I cannot be surprised by the reaction because any sport would have created the same reaction."
Wrestling's surprise exit has been blamed by some on a lack of political support within the executive board, where other sports at risk - including modern pentathlon and taekwondo - had the upper hand with representatives in the 15-member group.
Asked whether his double capacity was a conflict of interest, Samaranch said: "I am here in my capacity as executive board member."

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/othe...mpics.html

The international backlash has been extraordinary, forging odd, temporary alliances among the likes of the United States, Iran and Russia. The choice for a host site of the 2020 Olympics may signify how all this shakes out. If Istanbul or Tokyo win the selection, wrestling probably stays; Madrid is a maybe.

[fullmetal]

Madrid is the front-runner for 2020 at the moment, and Spain has no strong ties to wrestling.  No bueno for wrestling thus far.

You can't cut rhythmic gymnastics/trampoline with a line-item veto as that sport is administered under the auspices of the intl gymnastics federation.  In the same vein, if roller sports were included, you would get speedskating, roller hockey, and roller derby all as Olympic sports.

I would vote out canoeing/kayaking, golf, tennis, maybe some cycling, and soccer.  I don't see a reason to keep rugby sevens either.  Popularity does not merit Olympic inclusion.

[fullmetal]

Madrid is the front-runner for 2020 at the moment, and Spain has no strong ties to wrestling.  No bueno for wrestling thus far.

You can't cut rhythmic gymnastics/trampoline with a line-item veto as that sport is administered under the auspices of the intl gymnastics federation.  In the same vein, if roller sports were included, you would get speedskating, roller hockey, and roller derby all as Olympic sports.

I would vote out canoeing/kayaking, golf, tennis, maybe some cycling, and soccer.  I don't see a reason to keep rugby sevens either.  Popularity does not merit Olympic inclusion.