Olympics drops wrestling

[Unkotare]

maybe they dropped wrestling to add golf

There is a list of sports being considered as a 'replacement.' They include things like roller-blading, climbing, and wushu. It's absurd.

 

[rightwinger]

maybe they dropped wrestling to add golf

There is a list of sports being considered as a 'replacement.' They include things like roller-blading, climbing, and wushu. It's absurd.

Whatsa wushu?

 

[Unkotare]

All joking aside, I wonder how much the deliberate sexualisation of women's volleyball has contributed to the decline of wrestling?

We've all seen it. The media has has made a concerted effort to transform the sport into cheap voyeurism, and seems to suggest through its leering coverage that any male that hasn't jumped on the volleyball bandwagon is gay. Has the threat of being labelled a homosexual forced attention away from the ancient sport of Greco-Roman wrestling? I think to a certain extent it has. Don't get me wrong. I can't condemn anyone for perving over the female volleyball teams. My wife's caught me doing it. But is this sexualisation diverting our attention away from one of the Olympics' real attractions: a celebration of an ancient event.

Actually, women's wrestling has been developing greatly over the past several years. This stupidity will cut female wrestlers off at the knees as well as the men, and take the Olympics one GIANT leap closer to TOTAL irrelevance. I for one won't watch one minute of the summer games if this nonsense stands.

 

[Unkotare]

maybe they dropped wrestling to add golf

There is a list of sports being considered as a 'replacement.' They include things like roller-blading, climbing, and wushu. It's absurd.

Whatsa wushu?

It's based on what people think of as Chinese 'Kungfu,' but mainly as a 'demonstration.' So, it would be judged similarly to rythmic gymnasics or figure skating and such.

 

[Unkotare]

I suppose it hasn't occured to any of you that the Olympics ceased being about sport and the heritage of sport some time ago. The article linked in RW's OP clearly states that the decision - though yet to be finalised - was made on the strength of television ratings and ticket sales. It really wouldn't surprise me in the least if archery and the discus were dropped after Rio.

Korea would be very upset if archery were dropped. They tend to dominate there.

 

[rightwinger]

Wrestling is contested in almost all US High Schools and Universities, it is huge in Europe and Russia not to mention China, Korea and Japan

The number of worldwide competitors dwarfs olympic sports like Modern Pentathlon, synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics and dozens of others

 

[Montrovant]

I suppose it hasn't occured to any of you that the Olympics ceased being about sport and the heritage of sport some time ago. The article linked in RW's OP clearly states that the decision - though yet to be finalised - was made on the strength of television ratings and ticket sales. It really wouldn't surprise me in the least if archery and the discus were dropped after Rio.

I wouldn't be surprised if archery gets an uptick in ratings with the popularity of The Hunger Games recently. Just a short one, maybe one or two Olympics worth, but enough to stave off the chopping block.

 

[Montrovant]

Wrestling is contested in almost all US High Schools and Universities, it is huge in Europe and Russia not to mention China, Korea and Japan

The number of worldwide competitors dwarfs olympic sports like Modern Pentathlon, synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics and dozens of others

I would have thought the rise of MMA as a popular sport would increase interest in wrestling, since it's such an important base for MMA fighters.

Of course, I never watch the Olympics. They have long since bored the hell out of me, filled with ridiculous events and terrible broadcasting. When curling is added but wrestling is dropped, clearly the Olympics are well past the time of relevance.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Obama must have pressured them to drop it

 

[Unkotare]

Wrestling is contested in almost all US High Schools and Universities, it is huge in Europe and Russia not to mention China, Korea and Japan

The number of worldwide competitors dwarfs olympic sports like Modern Pentathlon, synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics and dozens of others

I would have thought the rise of MMA as a popular sport would increase interest in wrestling, since it's such an important base for MMA fighters.

It has, but MMA aside, wrestling is very popular all over the world. This BS makes no sense.

 

[Montrovant]

Wrestling is contested in almost all US High Schools and Universities, it is huge in Europe and Russia not to mention China, Korea and Japan

The number of worldwide competitors dwarfs olympic sports like Modern Pentathlon, synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics and dozens of others

I would have thought the rise of MMA as a popular sport would increase interest in wrestling, since it's such an important base for MMA fighters.

It has, but MMA aside, wrestling is very popular all over the world. This BS makes no sense.

It may just be that wrestling is not a good spectator sport. People appreciate what's involved, but don't want to watch it particularly.

I can understand that. I can appreciate the skill involved in someone playing golf, but I sure as hell don't want to watch them play it.

 

[Unkotare]

I would have thought the rise of MMA as a popular sport would increase interest in wrestling, since it's such an important base for MMA fighters.

It has, but MMA aside, wrestling is very popular all over the world. This BS makes no sense.

It may just be that wrestling is not a good spectator sport. People appreciate what's involved, but don't want to watch it particularly.

That's one reason why Olympic wrestling is Freestyle and Greco rather than the Folkstyle usually done at American high schools and universities. More scoring-oriented and spectator-friendly. That aside, more people would no doubt follow the sport if it were ever shown during Olympic broadcasts (in the US). We are lucky to get 5 minutes of wrestling here and there, but two hours are devoted to the heart-rending personal story of some diver who overcame a hangnail to make it to the games and every-fucking-second of swimming, gymnastics, and only a few other sports that are pimped over every other event.

 

[MikeK]

IOC drops wrestling from 2020 Olympics | OlympicTalk

What a clueless decision. The Olympics just doesn't get it

They flood the games with sports nobody has heard of or cares about like Syncronized Swimming, Rythmic gymnastics and Team Handball and drop Wrestling which has been an Olympic sport since the ancient Greeks

To a wrestler, an Olympic medal is the highlight of your career. It is what you train for, it is the highest possible honor in your sport

Instead, the Olympics brings in sports like Tennis and Soccer and Basketball where pros show up every four years to win a medal they don't give a shit about

You're right. This is a goddam shame!

 

[MikeK]

why would they drop such a long standing olympic sport?

that's a good question. Considering that the Olympics originated in Ancient Greece where wrestling was one of the primary events.

 

[uscitizen]

why would they drop such a long standing olympic sport?

that's a good question. Considering that the Olympics originated in Ancient Greece where wrestling was one of the primary events.

Yeah bring back nekkid men wrasslin.
Gays would love it.

guys in skirts driving charriots too!

 

[MikeK]

I suppose it hasn't occured to any of you that the Olympics ceased being about sport and the heritage of sport some time ago. The article linked in RW's OP clearly states that the decision - though yet to be finalised - was made on the strength of television ratings and ticket sales. It really wouldn't surprise me in the least if archery and the discus were dropped after Rio.

You couldn't be more spot on.

The problem is both archery and wrestling are thought of as relatively boring spectator sports by those who have never personally engaged in them. Neither archery or wrestling are dynamic in their presentations but to just eliminate them for that reason is out of keeping with the very spirit of the Olympic games. And you have clearly pointed to the reasons for it.

 

[MikeK]

All joking aside, I wonder how much the deliberate sexualisation of women's volleyball has contributed to the decline of wrestling?

We've all seen it. The media has has made a concerted effort to transform the sport into cheap voyeurism, and seems to suggest through its leering coverage that any male that hasn't jumped on the volleyball bandwagon is gay. Has the threat of being labelled a homosexual forced attention away from the ancient sport of Greco-Roman wrestling? I think to a certain extent it has. Don't get me wrong. I can't condemn anyone for perving over the female volleyball teams. My wife's caught me doing it. But is this sexualisation diverting our attention away from one of the Olympics' real attractions: a celebration of an ancient event.

My father was an excellent wrestler. My brother and I wrestled on the (Brooklyn Central) YMCA team. I've known many wrestlers, not one of whom I knew to be homosexual. I don't know if there were some. If there were it certainly didn't manifest in any obvious and offensive way, so who cares? My main concerns were body odor and risk of broken ("cauliflower") ears, not sexual orientation.

 

[MikeK]

I suppose it hasn't occured to any of you that the Olympics ceased being about sport and the heritage of sport some time ago. The article linked in RW's OP clearly states that the decision - though yet to be finalised - was made on the strength of television ratings and ticket sales. It really wouldn't surprise me in the least if archery and the discus were dropped after Rio.

I wouldn't be surprised if archery gets an uptick in ratings with the popularity of The Hunger Games recently. Just a short one, maybe one or two Olympics worth, but enough to stave off the chopping block.

I hope you're right -- but I wouldn't bet on it. Aside from other archers, I don't know anyone who has the slightest interest in archery. My own daughters and granddaughters consider it painfully boring. My sons-in-law and male friends manage to show a polite but very brief interest.

 

[radioman]

"That's one reason why Olympic wrestling is Freestyle and Greco rather than the Folkstyle usually done at American high schools and universities. More scoring-oriented and spectator-friendly."
-----------------------
I must disagree with you.
Both Olympic styles are ridiculously boring and predictable.
The contestants push and shove each other, but rarely mount any real offense.
Every competitor seems to be stalling in anticipation of the tie-breaker.
When was the last time you saw an Olympic wrestler try to turn an opponent with any move other than a gut wrench?
While I concede that collegiate wrestling is way too defensively oriented, high school wrestling has more offensive action in one dual meet than does an entire Olympic tournament.

 

[MikeK]

I would have thought the rise of MMA as a popular sport would increase interest in wrestling, since it's such an important base for MMA fighters.

Of course, I never watch the Olympics. They have long since bored the hell out of me, filled with ridiculous events and terrible broadcasting. When curling is added but wrestling is dropped, clearly the Olympics are well past the time of relevance.

Take away the striking and kicking and MMA wouldn't exist.

Incidentally, I first watched ambitious forms of MMA out behind the Camp LeJeune 500 Area "slop chute" every payday night.