The World Wrestling Championships at Belgrade concluded with a brilliant and action-packed ending. The tournament was marred with several upsets and the entry of a powerful newcomer. However, wrestling wasn’t as dynamic as it is right now. In fact, just ten years ago, the IOC discarded the sport from the Summer Olympics program.

A recently uploaded social media post showcases a video where an Olympic gold medalist spoke about the issue and pointed at the hopeful future of wrestling. In fact, the Canadian wrestling phenomenon delivered a strong message that has the endless walls of the internet echoing.

Erica Wiebe recalls a dark past of the Olympics and wrestling

Wrestling stands as one of the oldest sports in the list of sports played at the Olympics. The ancient sport has prevailed through various regions with countless variations, but more or less the same rules. The ubiquity of the sport made it popular as well as widely accessible across the globe. However, the sport had become stagnant and refused to change despite several warnings by the IOC, putting the sport’s further involvement in the Olympics at stake. Hence, on the occasion of the 2023 Belgrade Worlds ending on a grand note, Olympic champion Erica Wiebe reminded the community of the peaks and valleys of the sport.

The official X handle of the United World Wrestling posted a tweet where Canadian wrestler Erica Wiebe highlighted the Olympics scare. She said, “We fought back, ’cause that’s what wrestlers do.” As per reports, the IOC once pointed out that wrestling matches had started to look very dull and repetitive. The point-scoring specifics were unambiguous to the spectators, leaving them uninterested. But, none of these warning calls were paid heed to, and the IOC discarded the sport from the Summer Olympics in 2013. 

Wiebe also said, “I think wrestling truly showcases the true grace, beauty, grittiness of humanity. And, that’s what’s been displayed on the mats this week.” Wiebe concluded the final day of women’s wrestling and the sixth day of the Belgrade championship. While the Olympics included the sport back in its fold, several wrestlers believe that the horse kick they received was necessary.

Rooting out the corruption and stagnation

The news of the IOC discarding wrestling from the Olympics hit everyone like a truck. According to 1972 Olympics gold medal-winning wrestler Dan Gable, “We thought we were untouchable.” This myth was shattered by the IOC, which didn’t entertain any requests to retain the sport. While wrestlers noticed that the IOC didn’t have any wrestlers on board, they also noticed that their own board was incompetent as well.

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Swift changes were made to the FILA, and it was rebranded as United World Wrestling. This was followed by bringing several changes in the rules, and the inclusion of more weight classes for women. These modifications changed the face of wrestling and brought it on par with other mainstream sports once more. Do you like the refurbished era of wrestling or do you prefer its old age? Tell us in the comments. 

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