The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced this week that it would drop wrestling from the 2020 Summer Olympics, marking an end for an event that has been a part of the Games since their founding in 1896. IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said that the committee voted to ditch wrestling after reviewing a report by the agency’s program commission that analyzed the included sports according to 39 criteria, including ticket sales, television audience, and anti-doping programs.
Speaking to the New York Times, Olympic historian David Wallechinsky “It was in the ancient Olympics. It has been in the modern Olympics since 1896,” he said. “In London, 29 different countries won medals. This is a popular sport.”
Wrestling will now have a chance to compete with seven other candidate sports, including squash and climbing, for a chance at reinclusion in the Games. However, the committee’s decision to cut wrestling means that it’s unlikely it will earn readmission.
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