London, England

The days of wrestling in the Olympics are numbered as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board has recommended the sport's dropping from the roster of events in the Summer Games.

The IOC indicated that wrestling will join seven other shortlisted sports, including baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding and wushu -- vying for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic program as an additional sport.

However, one of these sports still has a chance of making it to the Olympics, depending on the final pitch that their representatives will make during a meeting in Russia in May.

After that meeting, the executive board will recommend one of them for inclusion.

Earlier, the executive board has recommended 25 sports as core events for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

The recommendation needs final approval during the 125th IOC Session that will take place from September 7 to 10 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The 25 sports are athletics, rowing, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, equestrian, fencing, football, gymnastics, weightlifting, handball, hockey, judo, swimming, modern pentathlon, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis, shooting, archery, triathlon, sailing and volleyball.

The Olympic Program Commission systematically reviews every sport following each edition of the Games in an effort to ensure that the Summer Games remain relevant to sports fans of all generations.

Earlier, golf and rugby sevens were added in 2009 as additional sports to the 2016 Olympic program.

 

The 2016 Olympics in Rio could mark the last appearance of wrestling in the international games

IOC Recommends Dropping Wrestling from Olympics

 

The International Olympic Committee has decided to remove wrestling, one of the oldest Olympic sports, from the 2020 games. Instead, the IOC chose to keep the modern pentathlon.

Wrestling goes back to the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens in 1896. There is no word yet on what will replace the sport

Wrestling Dropped from Olympics

 

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