Cutting wrestling and keeping stupid events like synchronized swimming and diving is beyond Folly and taking out men and women's baseball is a travesty as well.

WTF!! Getting rid of an original Olympic competition! What is the reasoning for this?? So many BS sports now Olympic sports.........and yet a basic sport is eliminated. Would LOVE to here what brought this on.

I will say this - I read an article on the IOC's rationale for this decision and unfortunately wrestling did meet alot of the criteria. Obviously it's dumb to cut wrestling, but they relied upon television ratings, ticket sales, international organization, etc., as criteria. It's odd because wrestlers are such a passionate bunch, but there was a method to the madness. But ticket sales and t.v. viewership sucked for wrestling last Olympics, and internationally wrestling is a trainwreck as far as PED testing and such.

schafrath wrote: I will say this - I read an article on the IOC's rationale for this decision and unfortunately wrestling did meet alot of the criteria. Obviously it's dumb to cut wrestling, but they relied upon television ratings, ticket sales, international organization, etc., as criteria. It's odd because wrestlers are such a passionate bunch, but there was a method to the madness. But ticket sales and t.v. viewership sucked for wrestling last Olympics, and internationally wrestling is a trainwreck as far as PED testing and such.

Does this imply that ratings and sales are stronger for badminton and synchronized swimming? Ouch.

TheAlbinoRhino wrote:

schafrath wrote: I will say this - I read an article on the IOC's rationale for this decision and unfortunately wrestling did meet alot of the criteria. Obviously it's dumb to cut wrestling, but they relied upon television ratings, ticket sales, international organization, etc., as criteria. It's odd because wrestlers are such a passionate bunch, but there was a method to the madness. But ticket sales and t.v. viewership sucked for wrestling last Olympics, and internationally wrestling is a trainwreck as far as PED testing and such.

Does this imply that ratings and sales are stronger for badminton and synchronized swimming? Ouch.

Badminton is huge in much of southeast Asia and China. I would not be surprised if it gets much better TV ratings than wrestling and a lot of other sports.

So does anyone even watch the Olympics? I'm just waiting to see this blade runner dude complete in the summer olympics.

Schedule some steel cage matches and ladder matches. That ought to get Olympic wrestling going again.

Wrestling has got to be the most grueling independent sport out there.  You have to train so incredibly hard to be the best in your country at your weight class. Olympics are the pinnacle they strive for.  It's just sad that everything has to come down to money, Olympics should be about sport.  The tradition of wrestling in the olympics goes all the way back to the ancient games in Olympia   .

TheAlbinoRhino wrote:

schafrath wrote: I will say this - I read an article on the IOC's rationale for this decision and unfortunately wrestling did meet alot of the criteria. Obviously it's dumb to cut wrestling, but they relied upon television ratings, ticket sales, international organization, etc., as criteria. It's odd because wrestlers are such a passionate bunch, but there was a method to the madness. But ticket sales and t.v. viewership sucked for wrestling last Olympics, and internationally wrestling is a trainwreck as far as PED testing and such.

Does this imply that ratings and sales are stronger for badminton and synchronized swimming? Ouch.

Their report did say wrestling was one of the few sports that was unable to sell its full allotment of tickets in London.   You probably have to factor in the host country, though, in that equation.  I don't know that Brits have a passion for wrestling like they do cycling and such.   I guess the lesson is if wrestlers are passionate about their sport then they have to take it to the next level and better support it on the international stage.  Get better organized, watch it on t.v., buy tickets to go see it, etc. 

I was ready to rip the IOC a new one until I actually bothered to read their criteria and evaluation process.  Wrestling was the weak sister at the last Olympics and has very poor international advocacy.  There's no avoiding that.