Wrestling dropped from Olympics

[6x6]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/ol ... ml?hpid=z2


Sad to read one of the oldest sports in the games will be dropped from the Olympics in 2020. I'm curious why the FIL isn't at least trying to be in the conversation by applying for inclusion. We will have held two more World Championships by then and you would expect even more growth in the next 7 years. Objectively, we would have a slim chance to be added but at least show the IOC you want to be in the mix.

"Wrestling will now join seven other sports in applying for inclusion in 2020. The others are a combined bid from baseball and softball, karate, squash, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu. They will be vying for a single opening in 2020. "

[UKLacrosse]

6x6 it's not quite as simple as you and many others appear to think e.g there is no longer the recognised 'demonstration' sports category. There is a lengthy process e.g. lacrosse was not even an 'officially recognised' sport until last year when it finally became an accepted member of SportAccord (the newly named umbrella of all international sports federations). Membership was a fundamental requirement before even being considered for inclusion. Interestingly the rules for inclusion have been made a little simpler with the adoption in 2007 of a 'core of 25 sports' and a 'floating' 3. That system takes effect from 2020, but the sting in the tail is that ALL sports would be reviewed, and they now only require a majority vote to be dropped, compared to in the past a 2/3rds majority. Unfortunately, there are many sports that have been waiting in the queue for a long time, and lacrosse has not even qualified to get in line yet.

[rpowell]

Patience..! We need to take a ticket, sit down, and wait in the queue.

First stage was becoming a member of SportAccord. Yep, got that last year, well done FIL.
http://www.sportaccord.com/en/

The next stage is involvement in the International World Games in 2017 (Poland). Tick, big thanks to Team Polski, we get to show what we've got.
http://filacrosse.com/development/world ... -lacrosse/

Presumably after that, we can apply for actual IWGA membership - you have to go through them before you get to the Olympics.

And then we get to where squash etc. are now, trying to ruthlessly steal another sport's place at the Olympics...

[6x6]

Thanks for the information. I am not naive to the fact that I'm sure the inclusion process is a laborious one. Perhaps my wording seems a bit harsh at this juncture and should be held until a later time a few years from now if the landscape is the same. I also understand that sports like squash have been waiting for awhile and basbeball/softball are trying to get back in. My point was to hope someday the FIL will try and get in the "queue", thus providing the opportunity to explain why lacrosse would be better for the games than say, wakeboarding, while also educating others on how much the sport has evolved.

[rpowell]

Yep, the FIL are on the case - in fact getting into the Olympics is in their Strategic Plan. To be really picky, it says "establish and implement process for inclusion in summer Olympics", so the goal is actually "find out what we have to do, then start doing it".

They update that plan every couple of years, so the next version will be able to tick the SportAccord box, and say IWGA is in progress.

But the point I would make in their defence is that saying "we're much better than wakeboarding!" now is wasted effort. We need to concentrate on the intermediate steps over the next four years, not a possible battle in a decade.

[Ash]

I'm by no means an expert in this.....but in the medium term I reckon lacrosse has got a decent chance.

The decision on what sports to include isn't really done on a very scientific criteria. And emotion and gut feeling come into it a lot.

Some sports like squash may get in due to years of waiting and mass participation. But I reckon lax will probably wait less time.....as:

A) as a random sport it looks and sound exciting. The handball sold out this summer and sounds and looks relatively interesting. But less interesting than 20 guys hitting each other with metal poles.

B) lacrosse is a team field sport with a large pitch....should be able to sell 30000 tickets easy just to randoms because its the Olympics, and then there are the people who actually like it!. Sports like squash have very limited viewing range and less modern appeal.

Won't happen in my playing career but I reckon lacrosse will make the Olympics quicker than most people think...if only for ticket capacity reasons.

[UKLacrosse]

I'm by no means an expert in this.....but in the medium term I reckon lacrosse has got a decent chance.

The decision on what sports to include isn't really done on a very scientific criteria. And emotion and gut feeling come into it a lot.

Some sports like squash may get in due to years of waiting and mass participation. But I reckon lax will probably wait less time.....as:

A) as a random sport it looks and sound exciting. The handball sold out this summer and sounds and looks relatively interesting. But less interesting than 20 guys hitting each other with metal poles.

B) lacrosse is a team field sport with a large pitch....should be able to sell 30000 tickets easy just to randoms because its the Olympics, and then there are the people who actually like it!. Sports like squash have very limited viewing range and less modern appeal.

Won't happen in my playing career but I reckon lacrosse will make the Olympics quicker than most people think...if only for ticket capacity reasons.

Not sure that your assumptions are correct Ash. The criteria are fairly simple ... once the sport has cleared all the hurdles to be on the list for consideration, the next part is even easier ... it's down to ticket sales, sponsors, tv coverage ... not much emotion, only revenues! To rake in the money the game has to be popular around the world, able to get enough ticket sales, so the venue is also a factor. Some places around the world would not get a very large following. The Euro's hardly got big crowds, and the Worlds also struggled, even in the most concentrated area in Europe. The Worlds in Canada made a loss. Using the success of London at attracting the crowds is flawed, as no Olympics in recent times has managed to get that amount of support.

[Ash]

Yeah, what I meant is their is probably more potential there, in terms of larger volumes of ticket sales at more popular games and perceived excitement (BMX seemed to get in on this basis). Agreed London was a bit if an exception, but as lacrosse won't make the games in the short term we will see if the enthusiasm rolls on!

[UKLacrosse]

Yeah, what I meant is their is probably more potential there, in terms of larger volumes of ticket sales at more popular games and perceived excitement (BMX seemed to get in on this basis). Agreed London was a bit if an exception, but as lacrosse won't make the games in the short term we will see if the enthusiasm rolls on!

No Ash ... BMX got in as a 'cycling' event. BMX is not a separate sport, it's fully covered by cycling, so just as synchronised swimming gets in as well as just another swimming event. I agree that 'field' sports have the greater potential for larger crowds, but that is entirely dependent on the location of the Olympics, and the world-wide attraction of the sport. The other disadavantage is that it is a team sport, and automatically brings with it a large number of competitors, which creates issues with the Olympics trying to restrict the 'total' number of participants. I would also guess that we would not see that many teams participating e.g. football in London was 16 for the men, and 12 for the women, I think.

[chippie]

i hear (field) hockey might be dropped....

http://www.insidethegames.biz/1012857-w ... ore-sports

[UKLacrosse]

i hear (field) hockey might be dropped....

http://www.insidethegames.biz/1012857-w ... ore-sports

If you read that report, it has survived, or am I missing something?
The main reason why these sports are now coming under scrutiny, is the agreement that goes back around 5 years or so (2007, I think), where ALL so-called 'core' sports now come under regular reappraisal, or threat, if you wish to consider it that way. This makes it a far more open process, and with wrestling having to effectively reapply. Hockey is safe this time around.

[Themphes]

If the Olympic committee will pursue with the plan of dropping wresting on the list of sporting event, this is definitely bad news for wrestling fans like me.

[Phil D]

Do people think domestic lacrosse structures are ready, and could cope, with the extra interest inclusion in the Olympic would bring? I'm not trying to be overly critical, but I'm not sure they would?

As it stands, from my experience, there are a shortage of country wide coaches.
The ELA seems to only just be catching up - or making the most - of the take off of the sport in universities, which started a number of years ago.
There seems to be a lack of involvement with many clubs and the ELA (club side).
Potential lack of man power/support for domestic leagues as numerous fixtures and arrangements have come out last minute this season (not trying to 'have a go', just saying it from a club player view point).

I fear if 10,000 people in the UK wanted to take up lacrosse tomorrow a lot of them would become frustrated with access to the game and, many, would drop out. I appreciate potential inclusion in the Olympics isn't tomorrow, but it's not like many of the above problems are new?

... but then, I've never been dubbed 'Mr Optimistic'.

Phil