Schools

Druid Hills Coach: Olympics Decision to Cut Wrestling is a 'Wakeup Call'

Changes have to come to the sport of wrestling, local coach says.


The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to remove wrestling didn't come as a surprise to Druid Hills High School wrestling coach Mark Adams.

"Wrestling has become a popular scapegoat among sports at all levels," Adams said. "We've taken a beating on Title IX; we've taken a beating because we're a non-revenue-generating sport. It's not surprising to be a target again."

The IOC agreed to pare down the 26 sports it features to 25 so that a new sport could join the lineup in 2020. Wrestling has a chance to make it back into the Olympics, but the Los Angeles Times said that was unlikely now that it has been cut.

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"Wrestling doesn't draw great crowds, and its methods of scoring are complicated," Adams said. "It's not easy to follow. My intuition tells me that all of this is a scare tactic to inspire changes in the sport. It's a wake-up call to the powers-that-be that we need to do a better job of promoting our sport."

A report by the IOC program commission said TV ratings and ticket sales are among the criteria used by the panel, according to ESPN.

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Wrestling in the Olympics started with the ancient Games in 708 B.C., and became a staple of the modern Olympics, beginning in Athens, Greece in 1896.

Among the sports being kept in the Olympics is modern pentathlon, a combination of fencing, horse riding, swimming, running and shooting. It has been an Olympic sport since 1912.

At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, 71 countries participated in wrestling, while just 26 nations competed in modern pentathlon.

What do you think of the IOC's decision on wrestling? Tell us what you think in the comments area below.


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