For those on the inside, what happened?

by **BuckyBadger** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 7:58 am

Any posters here who are involved in FILA or Olympic committees, do you have any insight as to what happened with wrestling being dropped from the Olympics?

This was a complete surprise. The first rumor of this was posted on the boards yesterday. Typically, this type of decision is discussed in public first, and their is an opportunity for a fight. This was a secret vote. This was way too fast and doesn't add up.

Stan and others, what happened?

by **Matburn155** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:06 am

Yes, please please somebody tell me how this has happened. I told my cousin just weeks ago, who just finished his first year of youth wrestling, "One day you will be an Olympic champion if you want it enough". What am I to tell him now?

by **jstock** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:31 am

Wow- this is just unimaginable. It is just hard to fathom that wrestling does not draw as much interest as some of the trivial sports that are still included. Some of the back yard picnic games. I would love to learn if kids I'm many parts of the world train from a young age to someday compete in the Olympics in sports like table tennis, badminton and shuttle ****.
I know some sports are popular and have a good draw but I think a decent compromise would be to limit a few of the redundancy in sports with similar skills as listed above, how many ways do you need to prove that you are the best at hitting something over a net?
Reduce some of the sports that have multiple distance and sub skill. Look at swimming with multiple strokes and multiple distance races in addition to the relay portion. Do we really need to see who is the best at the 50, 100, and 1500 meter under water doggie paddle?

by **zeeb** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:34 am

Modern Pentathlon had a guy on the inside. Pure and simple.

by **ccrider55** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:37 am

The Olympic$ is nothing but a giant commercial with a sports motif. Strive to be a champion of a sporting event, whether it has commercial backing or not. That's the essence of sport (as opposed to business).

by **BuckyBadger** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:42 am

True, but how could this decision happen so fast with absolutely no warning? How could the leadership of USA wrestling not have known something like this could happen well in advance?

Either they didn't know and this a total screw job by IOC/FILA, or they did know and tried to fight it behind the scenes? At the very least, the wrestling community deserved time to organize an effort to keep wrestling in the Olympics. This doesn't make any sense that it would happen in this manner.

by **madcat11** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:59 am

Let me break this down for everyone. What happened was the world turned into a place where people would rather watch Fast and Furious 6 than the oldest sport known to man. One of the few times I've actually been ashamed to be a human.

by **Rakkasan91** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:59 am

FILA appears to have been suprised by this:

FILA was greatly astonished by today's recommendation of the IOC Executive Board not to maintain wrestling among the 25 core sports for the 2020 Olympic Games. FILA will take all necessary measures to convince the IOC Executive Board and IOC members of the aberration of such decision against one of the founding sports of the ancient and modern Olympic Games. FILA has always complied with the IOC regulations and is reprensented in 180 countries, with wrestling being the national sport in a fair amount of them and the only possibility for athletes to represent their country at the Olympic Games, thus contributing to their universality.

The FILA Bureau will meet in Phuket (THA) on 16-17 February and will address this issue in view of the presentation of wrestling in front of the IOC Executive Board in St-Petersburg next May.

http://www.fila-official.com/

by **Viking_Slap** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 10:00 am

BuckyBadger wrote:True, but how could this decision happen so fast with absolutely no warning? How could the leadership of USA wrestling not have known something like this could happen well in advance?

Either they didn't know and this a total screw job by IOC/FILA, or they did know and tried to fight it behind the scenes? At the very least, the wrestling community deserved time to organize an effort to keep wrestling in the Olympics. This doesn't make any sense that it would happen in this manner.

There is still hope in that BBC has published that UK Wrestling Federation leadership will fight to keep wrestling. They have just received 850,000 £ for wrestling and they did rather good in last Olympics. Hence, it seems that IOC has made the decision in forcing FILA to act or risk being out for 2020. What needs to be done now is for wrestling federations and national clubs to mobilize and coordinate.

by **jstock** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 10:21 am

Wow- this is just unimaginable. It is just hard to fathom that wrestling does not draw as much interest as some of the trivial sports that are still included. Some of the back yard picnic games. I would love to learn if kids I'm many parts of the world train from a young age to someday compete in the Olympics in sports like table tennis, badminton and shuttle ****.
I know some sports are popular and have a good draw but I think a decent compromise would be to limit a few of the redundancy in sports with similar skills as listed above, how many ways do you need to prove that you are the best at hitting something over a net?
Reduce some of the sports that have multiple distance and sub skill. Look at swimming with multiple strokes and multiple distance races in addition to the relay portion. Do we really need to see who is the best at the 50, 100, and 1500 meter under water doggie paddle?

by **Voice_of_the_Quakers** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 10:32 am

Rakkasan91 wrote:FILA appears to have been suprised by this:

FILA was greatly astonished by today's recommendation of the IOC Executive Board not to maintain wrestling among the 25 core sports for the 2020 Olympic Games. FILA will take all necessary measures to convince the IOC Executive Board and IOC members of the aberration of such decision against one of the founding sports of the ancient and modern Olympic Games. FILA has always complied with the IOC regulations and is reprensented in 180 countries, with wrestling being the national sport in a fair amount of them and the only possibility for athletes to represent their country at the Olympic Games, thus contributing to their universality.

The FILA Bureau will meet in Phuket (THA) on 16-17 February and will address this issue in view of the presentation of wrestling in front of the IOC Executive Board in St-Petersburg next May.

http://www.fila-official.com/

...where we will divide up the remaining cash and exit stage left.

by **nom** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 10:38 am

They are going to meet in Phuket Thailand to discuss? Must be really friggen sweet to be on the FILA committee. I have wanted to go there for quite some time. One of the most beautiful resort areas in the world.

I hope they actually earn their dues there.

by **Viking_Slap** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 10:42 am

I am 43 years old and going to wrestling club house to wrestle - just to stay in shape and great way to keep in contact with friends (some of them are nearly 60 years old) that I have known for 30+ years and all from wrestling. Will be interesting to hear from friend (Jimmy Lidberg - he took bronze in Greco) and others involved in the Swedish Wreslting Federation. We are not as big as the USA but we do have passion for wrestling and our men and women do good.

Good luck to all in posting and do hope that things will change fast on our "global" and "traditional" sport that is called wrestling

by **Viking_Slap** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:17 am

nom wrote:They are going to meet in Phuket Thailand to discuss? Must be really friggen sweet to be on the FILA committee. I have wanted to go there for quite some time. One of the most beautiful resort areas in the world.

I hope they actually earn their dues there.

This guy will be in hot seat as the Russian have already stated in the press they feel he is incompetent:

MR RAPHAËL MARTINETTI
president@fila-wrestling.com

Also the list of members has many from Eastern Europe and Central Asia - they have strong wrestling followers (Turkey, Russia, etc)
http://www.fila-official.com/index.php? ... 56&lang=en

by **Viking_Slap** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:25 am

This guy will be in hot seat as the Russian have already stated in the press they feel he is incompetent:

MR RAPHAËL MARTINETTI
president@fila-wrestling.com

Also the list of members has many from Eastern Europe and Central Asia - they have strong wrestling followers (Turkey, Russia, etc)
http://www.fila-official.com/index.php? ... 56&lang=en[/quote]

I now see that MR RAPHAËL MARTINETTI has a relative (son?) in the European Council of Associated Wrestling ;-(
= > MR DAVID MARTINETTI

by **gutfirst** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 12:09 pm

Rakkasan91 wrote:FILA appears to have been suprised by this:

FILA was greatly astonished by today's recommendation of the IOC Executive Board not to maintain wrestling among the 25 core sports for the 2020 Olympic Games. FILA will take all necessary measures to convince the IOC Executive Board and IOC members of the aberration of such decision against one of the founding sports of the ancient and modern Olympic Games. FILA has always complied with the IOC regulations and is reprensented in 180 countries, with wrestling being the national sport in a fair amount of them and the only possibility for athletes to represent their country at the Olympic Games, thus contributing to their universality.

The FILA Bureau will meet in Phuket (THA) on 16-17 February and will address this issue in view of the presentation of wrestling in front of the IOC Executive Board in St-Petersburg next May.

http://www.fila-official.com/

more pandering to ioc? great plan, should work well.

by **BuckyBadger** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 12:18 pm

I wonder if Stan has any insight as to what happened?

by **piggy** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 12:31 pm

Rakkasan91 wrote:The FILA Bureau will meet in Phuket (THA) on 16-17 February....

REALLY?!! They plan to meet in Phuket? perfect...those of us less adept at proper pronunciations may find this to be a bit ironic...

by **LtWtLooker** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 5:56 pm

The same occurred to me as soon as I read but My initial response was" FILA IN PHUKET says ^*#K IT"

These folks are so phuking moronic they even admit they were surprised It is time to move on Get out of FILA and promote the event in some country that loves wrestling. If we left that to FILA they would most likely choose Iran or Chechnia. Two wrestling hot beds but a bit tough to visit.