The “Olympic sports” community is roughly defined, but very close-knit. When Usain Bolt becomes the fastest man ever on land, swim fans feel a special connection, like they “get it.” They get the Olympic movement, the battle for attention in a market ripe with athletes making 10-million dollars a year complaining about having to practice. These so-called “Olympic sports,” united by the fact that the Olympics are their pinnacle, have a camaraderie and a brotherhood.
That’s why it was no surprise when the swimming community lashed out after their brothers-in-arms, Olympic wrestling, was voted out of the 2020 Olympics. This was a shot at the Olympic movement – a movement carried and carefully guarded by the athletes and their fans who are dedicated to these sports every day of every year, not by the IOC as they might like you to believe.
It was no surprise, despite this being tangentially a positive for swimming. Swimming is a cash cow of the Olympics, and the IOC has clearly drawn their line in the sand: the games are now about lining the pockets of organizers and their sponsors, and neither more or less than that. Swimming isn’t going anywhere, and in fact will continue to be pushed and prodded into the spotlight.
That doesn’t mean this feels right. Each of the 26 Olympic sports were on the chopping block. The modern pentathlon, which includes among its five events a 200 meter swim, was widely speculated to be the one to go. It was spared, likely because the event requires little cost from the IOC as they can use down-hours at the Olympic pools and other facilities.
Instead, we lost wrestling (which, in fairness, could be brought back as it now competes against previous cut sports like baseball and softball for a spot back in the 2020 schedule, though I wouldn’t hold your breath).
The IOC kept referring to the need to “streamline” the games. We’ve all heard complaints about certain sports awarding too many medals, but I personally have never heard anybody say “hey, we’ve got too many great Olympic moments, let’s cut out entire sports.”
Statement from the USOC Executive Board:
“We knew that today would be a tough day for American athletes competing in whatever sport was identified by the IOC Executive Board. Given the history and tradition of wrestling, and its popularity and universality, we were surprised when the decision was announced. It is important to remember that today’s action is a recommendation, and we hope that there will be a meaningful opportunity to discuss the important role that wrestling plays in the sports landscape both in the United States and around the world. In the meantime, we will fully support USA Wrestling and its athletes.”
Maybe we’re too out of the loop, and there’s some pressure to cut back on the amount of inspiration people draw from the games. At least until Kleenex becomes an official sponsor of Olympic tears of joy and sorrow.
You may have never watched Olympic wrestling, but I bet you know the names. Rulon Gardner, the American who ended the 13-year, undefeated run of Russian juggernaut Aleksandr Karelin in 2000. The American and the Iranian exchanging a heartfelt embrace on the Olympic podium, even while their countries are in the middle of a spitting-contest.
Now, we’re losing sports where this is the absolute top-of-the-mountain for hundreds-upon-thousands of fans and participants. Meanwhile, we’re adding golf. Golf is a fine game in itself, a historic game. If we’re realistic, though, the Olympic golf gold medal will be lucky to have a 5th-place position among the biggest annual golf tournaments. Some of the sports biggest names have already hemmed and hawed over whether they’ll participate in Rio when it comes on board, and that will continue until the Olympics comes anywhere near matching the million-dollar-plus purse that will be handed out at whatever nameless tournament runs the same weekend (the PGA hands out nearly $300 million in prize money each season alone).
Nevermind that these golfers have huge sponsorship agreements, and their brands won’t be able to use them in their normal run of ads for the lead-in to the Olympics, because of the brilliant rule 45.
Golf does come with deep pockets. Deep pockets from equipment manufacturers and the luxury brands that want to tap into the pockets of the prestige-seeking upper crust of the world. Deep pockets that won’t even notice the hands of the IOC dipping in.
It will take the place of wrestling: one of the original Olympic sports. Not just 1896 original. We’re talking about 776 BC original, before anyone could tell you that you can’t use the word “Olympic.” There are few sports that can compete with wrestling in terms of being the definition of an Olympic sport. Maybe the marathon. Pretty much anything track & field. And wrestling. Those are the Olympic sports, of all-time, forever.
Wrestling has given itself over to the Olympic movement and its rapid and sometimes painful commercialization. Now, the IOC has betrayed it. They’ve told wrestlers that they weren’t “good enough,” without much real explanation. It must be painful to know that you’re not good enough, and not be told why.
When baseball was cut, everyone got it. The pros wouldn’t come play, so the tournament was largely meaningless. Dragging softball down with them hurt. Everyone accepts basketball in the Games, albeit not a true “Olympic sport,” because the top athletes show up, they play hard, they go to swimming, they go to wrestling, and they engage themselves in the Olympic movement.
This is big. This is game-changing. For some, this is game-over.
Misleading headline. Informative and provocative editorial.
[As an aside. I like SwimSwam and the news and information it provides to promote the sport of swimming. That said, the base font size –very small– used on the site makes it very difficult to read on a mobile phone. Any way to enlarge it for those of us who read SwimSwam primarily on their iPhones?)
Hi Roger….we’ll have a mobile site in a few weeks. Thanks for stopping by!
Good news about your introduction of a mobile site, Mel. Creating one makes sense: I usually enter your current site via your Twitter links, and I usually check my Twitter timeline on my iPhone (rather than my PC). I’m sure that many of your readers do likewise.
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I’m still scratching my about the wrestling decision. If I ran the Olympics I wouldn’t add golf, and I’d cut tennis. Both of these full-fledged pro sports already have FOUR MAJORS EACH YEAR that are widely covered via television and other media. Why not allow a little exposure (and glory) every four years to one of the original Olympic sports?
This is a sad move by the IOC, and seems likely to damage further the prospects for college wrestling. How can the IOC do this when they keep ridiculous sports like rhythmic gymnastics, which has all the elements of a non-sport (judging, music, costumes)? Why is badminton in the Olympics? It is riddled with corruption.
Agreed – sad day. I was shocked to see wrestling selected, although I believe they will get their spot back for 2020 and it may have been a message to FILA to address issues – gender equality in particular. Having said that, I am friends with wrestlers that I respect deeply highlighting how this decision as you point out isn’t in line with what the Olympic movement represents. I questioned for some time why any sport had to be removed from the 26 current (I understood baseball’s removal and softball was the baby thrown out with the bathwater). Finally though, I am a pentathlete and although the speculation was worrisome going into the vote, I don’t think it’s accurate or fair to comment that our sport remained because of convenience (we don’t use an archery range). Pentathlon likely stayed because it had medalists from 6 countries and 3 continents in London and it was popular at the inaugural 2010 Youth Olympic Games (speculation on my part). The point being, don’t come down on another sport to strengthen wrestling’s stance; as you said this is bad for the Olympic movement overall. Wrestling and pentathlon have similar histories and I suspect most pentathletes feel like I do now – sadness (but hope the September session will reinstate the sport).
And sports where horses do the athletic feats (dressage, anyone?) get to stay? Just sad.
Can’t argue with that ^^
That’s always a sensitive subject. People don’t realize it isn’t just about the athleticism of the horse jumping, it’s the 10 or more years it takes in training to develop the relationship and get that particular horse to jump 1.60 meter obstacles. The confidence to do this, the horse doesn’t have without a very skilled rider. Having said that, equestrian sport has all sorts of other issues so yes far from perfect. In pentathlon different story – random draw for horse, 20 minutes to warm up then 1.20 meter course, so skill set there is pretty clear cut and requires every facet of athleticism – physical, mental, tactical..
Besides all that, main point – yes bad for Olympic movement overall that wrestling removed.
It is rather disappointing to hear about wrestling being eliminated. As mentioned, they will most likely try to go for the individual bid, but it will most likely not succeed. The good news is is that of the 7 on the list for potential sports in 2020, the most likely to be admitted is karate which will draw a huge fan base, particularly from Europe and Asia. Although it is obviously not the same as wrestling, it ties into the same martial art sort of faceoff match which many people were drawn to with wrestling.
I am not into much wrestling, i prefer JUDO,TAEKWONDO…but GOLF?
In other side, we know new sports will be added.Hum, i propose girls fighting in the MUD to replace wrestling!No need to use a big plot of land(like golf), and great appeal for TV!:]]]]
Although I never really watched wrestling, they should retain the original Olympic sports. If they’d like to remove one, take out trampoline, rhythmic gymnastics, synchro everything, and tiddly winks, or whatever other ridiculous sports there are.
So why do they have to cut something? Is 26 some magic number?
…I’m going to hate the reason, whatever it is.
It’s not money. It’s politics.
Wrestling is not an expensive sport for the IOC or Olympic host cities.
I never really watched Olympic wrestling, either, but it should have a special exemption because of its connection to the history of the Games, both Ancient and Modern. Badminton should’ve been tossed, and so should table tennis. Who gives a rat’s bum about Olympic table tennis? China wins every Gold; where’s the excitement in that? Heck, I think boxing should’ve gotten the boot, after all the horrible judging that occurred in London, and they have the nerve to move Bob Papa and Teddy Atlas away from their ringside broadcast position, because they can’t stand the fact that they (particularly Altas) were telling the truth about how awful the officiating was. I feel sorry for the wrestlers; they don’t deserve this. As for golf and tennis, yes, they each have four majors (although, now five, in the case of the LPGA Tour), but if basketball gets to stay, despite the NBA title being that sport’s biggest prize, then golf and tennis should stay, too.
I don’t take the talk of streamlining too seriously when they’re also adding new sports.
Keith; yeah but they are adding sports while subtracting others. I’m shocked that wrestling is out, I thought it was too popular for that. It might “help” swimming temporarily, but at some point in the future if swimming gets less trendy, it could be us.
Does this mean there’s finally going to be room for the 50m Underwater race in ’20?
I have heard rumors that water polo may be on the chopping block. Has anyone heard anything on this?
This is not an IOC failure. It’s the responsibility of the sport’s governing body to promote and grow it’s respective activity. With such a rich history entwined with the Olympic movement (and the marketing catapult that the Olympics provides every four years) the sport failed, colossally, to effectively market itself.
Nearly every post has ” I never watched wrestling BUT…” This is the problem and the reason the sport was cut. Outside of Rulon Gardner can you name one other US champion wrestler in the past 100 years? Who won the greco style wrestling gold medal in the last Olympics? When 99% of the population can’t answer those questions, we’re looking at something irrelevant to today’s society. It should be cut. The IOC is not a charity. Let’s face it, the reason we know the name Rulon Gardner has more to do with his own personality and often times outrageous pursuits/misadventures off the mat.
The take away message is that wrestling’s demise should make us all appreciate the great work that USA Swimming has done to promote, sustain and grow our sport. We should also appreciate the great ambassador athletes that sustain interest, and funding, in the sport.
I understand your point, but I don’t think it’s a governing body issue. I’m sure every poster could say, “I’ve never watched X, but…” to 90% of the sports. I’m a casual Olympics watcher and I probably can’t name half of the Olympic events, let alone champions. But I DO know that wrestling is an event and I DO recognize and remember Gardner’s name; not because I avidly follow wrestling but because it’s an iconic “original” Olympic event. To keep using “modern pentathlon” as an example – I had to google it to see what the events even were. So which governing body failed more in this case?
They should’ve promoted women’s wrestling more, and enforced strict guidelines regarding uniforms. I like the women’s volleyball uniforms, they could’ve used those. Then they should’ve branched out like gymnastics has. You know, introduce new apparatus and such. They could’ve had mud-pit and jello-pit wrestling IN the Olympics. But no! They really blew it. We all lose.
While I don’t know much about how governing bodies maneuver to get IOC and television attention, I think the fact that Americans only know one wrestler by name shouldn’t be used as a marker of a whether the governing body has done a good job.
Outside the swimming community, you’d be hard pressed to find a person who could name more than 2-3 swimmers, and swimming is hugely popular with (American) television audiences and spends most of the first week of the Games in the spotlight. If 99% of Americans couldn’t name more than 2-3 swimmers, and swimming is the premiere event of 1/2 the Games, by your reasoning, swimming is even more irrelevant than wrestling. The fact that Rulon Gardner’s name is known at all is incredible, considering the bad time slots and second-rate channels that wrestling is usually shown on.
“99% of Americans couldn’t name more than 2-3 swimmers”
Mark Spitz
Tarzan AKA Johnny Weissmueller
Michael Phelps
Duke Kahanamoku
Dara Torres
Ryan Lochte
Jason Lezak
Matt Biondi
Janet Evans
Missy Franklin
Diana Nyad
the list goes on…
Please identify the source of your 99% statistic… without taking your underpants off.
The 99% is definitely way too high, but that said the only swimmers on your list who are current general population “household names” are Phelps, Lochte, Franklin, and MAYBE Lezak (better known as “the guy on the relay with Phelps who beat the French”) and Evans (a.k.a. “that swimmer who ran up the steps and handed the torch to Muhammed Ali).”
You are missing the point. Does swimming market itself better than wrestling? Yes or no?
No, I wasn’t attempting to address the larger point, just your list in that last post.
I have no clue, I haven’t really thought about it much yet. If I had to guess I’d probably agree with you and say swimming, though I don’t have any data either way. But popularity is not just about marketing. Swimming (along with running, the other signature Olympic event) found a niche in the Olympic theater because its one of the most popular sports that folks actually do, even when it’s usually just fitness/recreational, whereas very few people wrestle after they finish their brief school-age gym class requirement, if they even have that.
Wrestling is a one-on-one contest requiring levels of intimacy, skill, and aggression that many folks aren’t comfortable with on a regular basis, and there aren’t many equivalent forms of “fitness” or “recreational” wrestling that folks do. So swimming may have some natural advantage rather than superior marketing competency.
Whoever invented the WWE correctly assessed that wrestling as a pure sport alone was not enough to capture the imagination of the average Jose, and shrewdly marketed it as a scripted show instead. Swimming doesn’t have to go that far, obviously, but efforts to enhance it and make it more entertaining, including those that you yourself have tried to introduce, could definitely help it be more popular and perhaps even nudge recreational and fitness swimmers over into the competitive arena.
As a traditionalist, it is disappointing to see wrestling kicked out. But for all the outrage on social media, where were all these supporters demanding that olympic wrestling be shown at a more convenient time/place than Telemundo or CNBC at 2am during the Games? Where was the outrage or even disappointment that gold medal matches were relegated to tape delay on MSNBC Sports Network at 4pm on Wednesday…a channel many of us don’t even get or even knew existed! It is unfortunate that tradition means nothing for a part of the original Games, but the numbers during the actual competition (TV ratings, website views, ticket sales, merchandising, etc) don’t lie when it comes to the ACTUAL popularity of a sport.
Gary Hall Jr: I like reading your comments. They are insightful.
What are your thoughts on the IOC, in general, being a non-profit organization? Do you think they should share more of the money with athletes? Do you stay in touch with Popov, who is a member of the IOC?
http://www.businessinsider.com/olympics-inc-inside-the-business-of-the-ioc?op=1
Wrestling in Univ has seen some elimination for whatever reasons. In all newspaper and web articles no one mentions that US High School and Colleges they are not the same as the Olympic style. The plus of the sport is the fact that all size of athlete and body size does not keep you out. Hopefully it doesn’t affect what goes on in the US.
I’m sure participant and viewership numbers and trends are examined closely when making a decision like this. A history of low viewership positioned the poor TV time slots, not poor time slots are responsible for poor viewership. The downward spiral metaphor ensues.
The IOC does share money with the athletes. Unfortunately dispersed through a broken and sadly innefficient trickle down model, with so many organizations, national governing bodies and committees siphoning off the top along the way.
The IOC needs to provide more funding to the athletes. By trimming the fat and cutting sports that provide no return to the Olympic movement (I agree, pentathlon and quite a few other sports should go too) the IOC can better fund the sports like swimming, and the athletes, that contribute to the growth of the Olympic movement.
I like your comments regarding the IOC; spot on. But for 2 things. 1. You justify cutting a sport b/c people do not know the names of its athletes – that’s an Amerio-centric view (as you noted USA Swimming has done an exemplary job to grow and promote so it’s swimmers are broadly known). Perhaps in Russia, Iran, Turkey etc. these same level athletes are known and celebrated. And perhaps their swimmers less so (but that would not justify cutting swimming). In Canada wrestlers that medalled at the Olympics are household names. 2. Removing the fat/non revenue generating sports. If the Games turns simply to revenue focus, the entire program would shift to NASCAR, Poker, and Miss Universe so that cannot be the litmus test for inclusion. Pentathlon’s place was strengthened by these factors: London medallists from 6 different nations and 3 different continents (with 2 other continents repped in top 10). It was popular sport media sport at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games (and the IOC seems to really care about this now). It was one of the first sports to sell out in London. The sport is far from perfect, but it has it’s strengths.
If it was simply a case of popularity, Modern Pentathlon would never have gotten a reprieve over Wrestling. Wrestling is well ahead of MP in terms of both participation and popularity. Comparing Wrestling with swimming is irrelevant. It doesn’t have to prove it is one of the top 2-3 sports in the games (like swimming) to demonstrate it’s worthy of inclusion. It can make a case against many other sports however, including MP. You can lay some blame at the foot of the sports leaders. If Wrestling’s officialdom was guilty of anything it was complacency and hubris. Even when they were included on the list of potential cast offs they were too confident there was no danger assuming the other sports on said list were in more peril of ejection.
If few people can name Olympic top wrestlers even fewer can name any athletes in MP. The fact that Juan Antonio Samaranch’s son is the head of the governing body for MP probably helped a great deal. MP is a sport that realized it was on the ropes unlike Wrestling and has made some alterations to make it more fan friendly. However, ultimately it all comes down to politics and people protecting their interests. In a pleasant world of lollypops and rainbows we can pretend that the suits always do what’s in the best interests of the Olympic movement at large. But really they are protecting the vested interests of those that appointed them to those positions. They will act according to the best interests of their own countries which means promoting sports they excel at as well as making important friends to vote in blocs to ensure that your “friends” have your back when your country’s sport is potentially on the chopping block.
I think we mostly agree. Didn’t know Samaranch Junior had reins on modern pentathlon. It’s complicated, no question.
Good points. Yes MP popularity low relative to wrestling. Popularity across sports varies massively. Sometimes this is evident in skill level where depth is minimal, but sometimes not, in cases where it takes a very particular type of athlete to perform skill. The more specialized the skill the narrower the cohort. Context of that has to be considered though. Some sports are innate – run swim wrestling. Some are highly specialized – ski jumping, MP, 10 meter drive (not a lot of recreational ski jumpers these days b/c one error and you die).
Admittedly JAS Jr likely helped MP’s cause (can’t be sure). You are correct that the sport did a lot to remain relevant and it changed immensely in last 4 years to accommodate IOC preferences. The other big advantage (beyond what I mentioned earlier about London ticket sales, London medal performers and 2010 YOG popularity) is that IOC is Euro-centric and given there were 11 different Euro nations in the top 10 in London (men’s/women’s field – IRL UKR RUS BLR GBR HUN LAT LTH GER AUT ITL), that is a lot of European votes likely in its favour.
Point 1. Amerio-centric accusation: USA influence is disproportionately weighted. Whether you or I or the IOC (they don’t) like it, the USA has greater influence over the Olympic movement. Because the majority of sponsorship and broadcasting revenues are generated in/by the USA.
If NBC can dictate when swimming finals are to be held, what makes you think they don’t have some influence (or at least some ability to track the popularity of events in viewership metrics or commercial placement interests) of what sports are highlighted or eliminated? This is based on viewership, or popularity. Or if you are unabashedly Amerio-centric, democratic. Wrestling may be popular in Turkey, but how much revenue or ratings does it bring in? The answer: Nothing compared to just one US (city) market.
My response: Wrestling had countless opportunity to better promote itself. The Olympics is all about competition. Wrestling is the loser, even against odd sports with less history. It’s existence and funding takes away from other sports, like swimming. Respectfully, you’re a fool if you think ratings or revenue don’t matter.
Point 2. Pentathlon outperformed wrestling and has some growth trajectory. It lives to see another day. With the elimination of wrestling, the Olympics is relegated to Miss Universe or poker? I strongly disagree with that outrageous statement. The athletic integrity of swimming or track and field is not compromised by the elimination of wrestling.
Just the opposite, sports with a much smaller participant base compromise the integrity of other more competitive sports, and the Olympic movement. I can be the best hula hoop dancer in the world, but there are only 389 competitors world-wide. I can walk around declaring that I’m an Olympic gold medalist! Just like Nathan Adrian and Usain Bolt! It devalues the accomplishment. How many elite wrestlers are there in the world?
And can anyone tell me the name of the gold medalist in wrestling from this past summer without an internet search (less than six months ago)? Or name two Olympic wrestlers from your own country in the last 100 years? We’re not getting flooded with responses.
Good and fair points, though I disagree (with some) because we are looking at this with different values.
Agreed USA runs the Olympics via the TOP programme thanks largely to NBC. No contest. But the Olympic movement is about expansion and inclusion. So the danger is a imbalance of NBC/USA influence distorting those values – IS THIS OK? Because Nation X can’t afford the broadcast rights that NBC can, does that make its (culturally) valued sports and athletes less valued as participants in the Olympics (assuming the sport meets every other criteria for inclusion)?
Regardless of dollars, if a sport is highly valued in one region, but not the USA, it should not be cast aside. As I (somewhat satirically) suggested, if that is the presiding measure of what is in the Games, then what prevents the eventual shift to Poker (which has significantly more coverage than swimming and most Olympic program sports)? It is satirical because the IOC has rules as I bet you know restrict ‘motorized sports’, ‘thinking games’ etc. from even applying. regardless we are witnessing the slow process toward sports that are more media driven than participant driven (tough balance to achieve and I accept that has to be a part of the equation).
I don’t like knocking sports but look at changes to cycling events selected for the Games at the expense of cycling events removed, or additions to the Winter Olympic Program. These sports don’t have the history, participation, or level of excellence that wrestling does, but they attract viewership I suspect. Keep in mind as well removing wrestling was done to make room for another sport. Not sure if you’ve seen the 7 other nominees, but I don’t believe any has the CV matching FILA’s.
There is a purity to the Games in theory and I think most spectators value that. Personally – I am a capitalist at heart so not a fool in the sense that I know what drives the existence (and opulence) of the Games.
My impression is that other sports were more threatened (cycling – doping, badminton – fixed matches, table tennis – limited nations at highest level etc) so perhaps that why the media response is strong. I think there is a good chance wrestling in reinstated for 2020 and this was a harsh message from the IOC to fix internal issues; my guess gender inequality (weight classes highly favour men).
Agreed less competitive sports threaten integrity of all sports. No question. It will never be level because competing with highly accessible sports like athletics and swimming is difficult, I tend to think there are sports now that clearly threaten that integrity of an Olympic medal.
Two Olympic wrestlers medalists from last Games without a search (not that I think this is relevant measure of inclusion): Carol Huyhn and Tonya Verbeek. I can name many from past Games because they are really valued in Canada. Like USA Swimming, Canadian Wrestling performed very good job growing sport.
Last note – is this really Gary Hall Jr? If so, cool! I saw you at Pan Am Games years ago.
Thanks for the insights.
It really is Gary Hall Jr! Search Dave & Gary on the site for more…
Josh, you make valid points as well. It’s a complicated issue, to be sure. However, I haven’t read much (anything, really) defending the IOC decision and felt compelled to offer some argument in favor of the decision, one that any fan of wrestling will be passionately blinded by. The IOC has a history of adding and cutting sports. Personally, I was crestfallen when they cut the plunge.
Yes, I’m Gary.
And whatever you do, don’t read the Dave and Gary column.
Too late. haha.