Wrestling president quits after Olympic omission
PHUKET, Thailand (AP) - The president of the international wrestling federation quit Saturday in the wake of the IOC's decision to remove the sport from the 2020 Olympics.
Raphael Martinetti's resignation was announced at the FILA executive committee meeting in Phuket. The Swiss had been in the position since 2002.
On Tuesday, the executive board of the IOC dumped wrestling from the list of sports guaranteed a berth in future Summer Olympics, meaning it must compete with other fringe sports for a spot on the program.
FILA member Nenad Lalovic, who has assumed an interim presidency role, confirmed at a news conference that Martinetti's resignation was because of the International Olympic Council's decision.
"It was difficult for a president who wasn't powerful for 11 years when the IOC decided to eliminate his sport from the Olympic Games," said Lalovic, adding the new president will soon be elected at an extraordinary congress.
Lalovic said the bid to restore wrestling to the Olympic program would begin immediately.
"Every one of us will have a duty. We have only one goal that is to be back on the Olympics. Lobbying is very important but it's not something that you can't determine in advance," Lalovic said. "We have to prepare a serious presentation that must be prepared by professionals to present the real picture of our sport. This sport has been practiced by millions of people. We will use this fact in order to promote our sport."
Now wrestling is no longer a core Olympic sport, it must compete with seven other contenders - baseball and softball, squash, karate, wakeboarding, sport climbing, roller sports and the martial art of wushu - in lobbying to earn the last spot on the 28-sport program for the 2020 Olympics, which have yet to be awarded to a host city.
The IOC executive board will meet in May in St. Petersburg, Russia, to choose which sports to propose for inclusion in 2020. The final vote will be made at the IOC general assembly in September in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
USA. Wrestling executive director Rich Bender paid tribute to Martinetti but said his departure could boost wrestling's chances of getting back on the Olympic program.
"This decision provides international wrestling with an opportunity to change and improve," Bender said in a statement on U.S.A. Wrestling's website. "The sport will now be able to create a fresh new relationship with the International Olympic Committee and address some of the pressing challenges and opportunities facing wrestling."
Alexander Mamiashvili, the head of the Russian wrestling federation, wants the FILA extraordinary congress to be held in Moscow in May and said President Vladimir Putin had ordered a committee be formed to contest the IOC decision.
"The group will coordinate and analyze the situation to prove wrestling is worthy of staying in the Olympic movement," Mamiashvili told the Itar-TASS news agency of a committee that will include the sports minister and all three Russian IOC members. "The leadership of the country, and personally the president of Russia, has expressed to us their support."
FILA vice president Stan Dziedzic said he knows what wrestling needs to do to win back its place.
"We need a better public-relations firm, we need to have a better relationship with the IOC, obviously. Those are right on top of the table," he said. "We have to tell the world that there is no other sport that is more of a meritocracy than wrestling. No bats, no balls, no gloves. It's not how fast, how far, how high - but how much better.
"Two equal size wrestlers ground on the mat to determine who the best is, with the wits and the will to win. Nothing could be more fundamental."
Raphael Martinetti's resignation was announced at the FILA executive committee meeting in Phuket. The Swiss had been in the position since 2002.
On Tuesday, the executive board of the IOC dumped wrestling from the list of sports guaranteed a berth in future Summer Olympics, meaning it must compete with other fringe sports for a spot on the program.
FILA member Nenad Lalovic, who has assumed an interim presidency role, confirmed at a news conference that Martinetti's resignation was because of the International Olympic Council's decision.
"It was difficult for a president who wasn't powerful for 11 years when the IOC decided to eliminate his sport from the Olympic Games," said Lalovic, adding the new president will soon be elected at an extraordinary congress.
Lalovic said the bid to restore wrestling to the Olympic program would begin immediately.
"Every one of us will have a duty. We have only one goal that is to be back on the Olympics. Lobbying is very important but it's not something that you can't determine in advance," Lalovic said. "We have to prepare a serious presentation that must be prepared by professionals to present the real picture of our sport. This sport has been practiced by millions of people. We will use this fact in order to promote our sport."
Now wrestling is no longer a core Olympic sport, it must compete with seven other contenders - baseball and softball, squash, karate, wakeboarding, sport climbing, roller sports and the martial art of wushu - in lobbying to earn the last spot on the 28-sport program for the 2020 Olympics, which have yet to be awarded to a host city.
The IOC executive board will meet in May in St. Petersburg, Russia, to choose which sports to propose for inclusion in 2020. The final vote will be made at the IOC general assembly in September in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
USA. Wrestling executive director Rich Bender paid tribute to Martinetti but said his departure could boost wrestling's chances of getting back on the Olympic program.
"This decision provides international wrestling with an opportunity to change and improve," Bender said in a statement on U.S.A. Wrestling's website. "The sport will now be able to create a fresh new relationship with the International Olympic Committee and address some of the pressing challenges and opportunities facing wrestling."
Alexander Mamiashvili, the head of the Russian wrestling federation, wants the FILA extraordinary congress to be held in Moscow in May and said President Vladimir Putin had ordered a committee be formed to contest the IOC decision.
"The group will coordinate and analyze the situation to prove wrestling is worthy of staying in the Olympic movement," Mamiashvili told the Itar-TASS news agency of a committee that will include the sports minister and all three Russian IOC members. "The leadership of the country, and personally the president of Russia, has expressed to us their support."
FILA vice president Stan Dziedzic said he knows what wrestling needs to do to win back its place.
"We need a better public-relations firm, we need to have a better relationship with the IOC, obviously. Those are right on top of the table," he said. "We have to tell the world that there is no other sport that is more of a meritocracy than wrestling. No bats, no balls, no gloves. It's not how fast, how far, how high - but how much better.
"Two equal size wrestlers ground on the mat to determine who the best is, with the wits and the will to win. Nothing could be more fundamental."
Hope he didn't have to wrestle with that decision to quit.
maybe if they get some hot chicks wrestling in oil or jell-o puddin. works for spike tv
Well....pole dancing is getting some consideration...seriously.
http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/trending/post/_/id/6293/pole-dancing-champ-talks-about-olympics
It seems the IOC has become another overinflated political party wannabe.  They don't follow their own rules and bylaws and seem to live with the same pathetic righteousness of a HOA.Â
While not really a fan of it nor do I watch it during the Olympics. Wrestling is very much part of the Olympics, more so than wakeboarding and softball.
I don't even watch Olympic wrestling but wrestling is more "Olympic" than the IOC.
To hell with it all. I wonder how many children in the world starved to death during the opening ceremony extravaganza in London.
It is my opinion the Olympics have become a joke rather than an international competition to find the best of the worlds strongest and fastest athletes.  Â
Sure, I enjoyed playing Badminton when I was a boy, but an Olympic sport it is not.  I'm on the fence as far as Canoeing goes.  Yes, its a sport and there is a great deal of skill when taken to extremes.  But is it worthy enough to be called an Olympic sport?
Football is supposedly loosely based on combat between opposing armies, but Rugby is certainly a much tougher sport. Â And then there's Golf. Â Imagine the great Olympians sitting on their thrones above the clouds on Mount Olympus...waiting for their turn to tee off. Â Not an Olympic Sport.
Another activity I'm on the fence over is Sailing.  The 2016 Olympics will have Canoeing, Rowing and Sailing events.  Certainly Rowing is a widely excepted Olympic Sport with a long history of tradition and competitions.  In my opinion, Sailing has always had its own traditions, competitions and awards.  I believe Sailing should keep to its own.
Table Tennis is right there with badminton.  Ping Pong championships should be kept in the Girls and Boys Clubs, High Schools and fraternity houses.  How about  Synchronized Swimming?  We might as well add Ballet if we are going to classify  Synchronized Swimming as having Olympic qualities.  For that matter, some of the artistic gymnastic routines might be better served in a field more akin to dance than sports.
Things get even stranger. Â Did you know Windsurfing is an Olympic sport? Â Rather it was. Â In 2016 it is being replaced by Kite-Surfing. Â Cycling is in jeopardy of being removed from Olympic venues after Lance Armstrong changed his story. Â I believe Cycling events have been an Olympic standard for a long time. Â
The 2016 Olympics are bringing style and extravaganza into the mix as the Gymnastics commission reports there will now be a Gala Event for gymnastics.  A Gala Event?  Really?
Then there are the Field Hockey events and Handball.  Why Field Hockey?  Why not Lacrosse which is far more challenging as well as a much better sport to watch.
It is all very interesting if you enjoy following the rise and fall of Olympiccompetition.  I look forward to what the 2016 Olympics will bring.
Even though I have stated several sporting events which I do not consider worthy to be classified as Olympic Sports, I have great respect for the men and women who spend hours every day training to be the best of there chosen activity or sport. Â Yes, even the Badminton folks. Â :-)