Wrestling completed an unprecedented Olympic comeback Today, reclaiming its spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after beating bids from rivals squash and baseball/softball in an International Olympic Committee vote.
An iconic Olympic sport, wrestling featured in the ancient Olympics as well as every modern Games apart from 1900.
Yet it surprisingly lost its Olympic spot in February as the IOC looked to refresh its sports programme.
It is the first sport to earn back its Olympic place immediately, with all other returning events taking years or decades to make a comeback.
"Normally this is done in a few years, we did it in a few months. It was a question of our survival," a delighted international wrestling federation (FILA) president Nenad Lalovic told reporters.
"We did all we could, we changed our sport and the federation was successful. We continue to work tomorrow."
Lalovic had said in his presentation to the IOC prior to the vote that "today is the most important day in the 3000-year history of our sport".
Yet it surprisingly lost its Olympic spot in February as the IOC looked to refresh its sports programme.
It is the first sport to earn back its Olympic place immediately, with all other returning events taking years or decades to make a comeback.
"Normally this is done in a few years, we did it in a few months. It was a question of our survival," a delighted international wrestling federation (FILA) president Nenad Lalovic told reporters.
"We did all we could, we changed our sport and the federation was successful. We continue to work tomorrow."
Lalovic had said in his presentation to the IOC prior to the vote that "today is the most important day in the 3000-year history of our sport".
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