http://www.yankton.net/articles/2013/02/15/community/doc511db7f914b53450227155.txt

Wrestling Community Questions Removal Of Sport From Olympics

By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decision Tuesday to drop wrestling from the 2020 Olympics is hitting home for many local wrestlers, wrestling officials and other members of the wrestling community.

At the IOC’s meeting, the committee was expected to drop the modern pentathlon, but instead decided to remove wrestling from the games based on various criteria, which included the sports popularity and how many people participate in the sport worldwide.

Dave Cornemann, who started wrestling in elementary school and went on to be a two-time state champion for Gregory High School, a two-time All-American at South Dakota State University, a national champion while in college, a wrestling coach and an official, said he was shocked when he heard about the IOC’s decision.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for them to have dropped wrestling out of the Olympics,” he said. “The sport is popular among high school students across the country and it ranks among the most participated sport among high school students.”

Cornemann, a former Yankton High School coach, added that when schools went through the Title IX crunch years ago, a lot of high schools and colleges were forced to drop wrestling programs as a result of the law, but wrestling was able to weather that storm. He hopes it can weather this one too.

“Wrestling is one of the original sports of the Olympics,” he said. “I don’t know why they decided to drop it, but it could have been for financial reasons. It’s a big blow for the sport, but I don’t think a lot of kids start wrestling in elementary school or junior high thinking they’ll eventually become Olympic champions. I don’t think that’s why they go out for the sport to begin with.”

Dan Specht, who wrestled in high school and college and has also been an official for about 20 years, also can’t understand the decision.

“Wrestling has a long-standing history in the Olympics, so to drop that significant part of the Olympic history is tough to figure out. I think wrestling was dropped for political reasons,” he added. “Think about it, the IOC keeps a sport like Trampoline, but drops the most historic event of the core sports. I think it’s important to note that the deal hasn’t been sealed as of yet, but the recommendation is out there and must stand on its own merit.”

Ryan Hage, coach of the YHS wrestling team, said he was also surprised when he heard about the IOC’s recommendation.

“The IOC, which among other things, emphasizes equality and participation, is going against its very purpose by eliminating wrestling from the Olympics,” he said. “In the United States alone, there are more than 1 million wrestlers, and that is a small number when compared to other countries around the world.”

Hage added that men and women now compete for the right to represent their country in wrestling, with the dream of bringing home a gold medal. In the United States wrestling has the third highest medal count out of all the Olympic sports.

Despite that, he said he doesn’t think anyone knows why the IOC made the decision to drop wrestling.

“I don’t think anyone really knows why they made their decision. Figureheads for wrestling, like Dan Gable and John Smith, were caught off guard and did not know that there was even a possibility that wrestling could get cut,” he said. “Unfortunately, I think the decision was driven by money.”

Mark Manning, the head wrestling coach at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and a Vermillion native, released a statement on the IOC’s decision, and said he’s just as shocked as everyone else is.

“Removing wrestling from the Olympics would have a far-reaching impact on our sport,” he said in the statement. “It not only greatly affects our current and future Olympians, but it would also damage the sport at the collegiate, high school and youth levels. Hopefully, the IOC will take into account the impact of this decision on the American and international wrestling communities and re-consider when they meet in May.”

Cornemann said the decision is a “big blow” because it takes the sport out of the national and international spotlight.

“The decision does not make any sense to members of the wrestling community,” he said. “There are petitions going around to, hopefully, reinstate the sport in 2020. I hope the IOC reevaluates their decision.”

Specht said he was saddened by the decision and it hit home for him because of the amount of great wrestlers South Dakota has produced.

“South Dakota has had some great Olympic wrestlers including Randy Lewis from Rapid City, Lincoln McIlravy from Philip, Bill and Jim Scheer from Mobridge, and Dennis Koslowski from Doland,” he said. “Those famous South Dakota wrestlers are some I’ve known and wrestled with. Now dreams like they had may be going away for our next generation.”

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal