More men's classes cut for Rio

[Plasmodium 1,545]

The most equitable change would be to add 58 kg and the eliminate 55 & 60. Then its only partially neutered.

[Alexander_Delarge_655321 63]

6, 6, 6 - the mark of the beast. What a joke.

[Angry_Fish 313]

The most equitable change would be to add 58 kg and the eliminate 55 & 60. Then its only partially neutered.

 

As much as this whole thing sucks and not having really thought it all through or heard other suggestions, that idea seems to make some sense.

[Alwayswrestling 186]

The most equitable change would be to add 58 kg and the eliminate 55 & 60. Then its only partially neutered.

Well since it probably makes the most sense it most surely will not be done.

[fallguy 4]

I am a huge Greco-lover. But it needs to be cut. Olympics wants equality? Having two mens styles and one women's aint it. Cut greco, eliminate the two bronzes, and lets get 10 and 10 in FS.

 

So simple a caveman could do it. F'n A, people!

 

You seriously think they would have 10 weight classes in FS if GR is cut. Guess what, they would still only have six weight classes in FS. I'm not opposed to having FS only if it meant more weight classes, but it doesn't. First GR would be cut. Then it would be only a matter of time that Wrestling would be cut from the Olympics altogether. Sorry, that's not the answer.

[rossel3 77]

This is bad news.

 

I always thought the gaps were pretty wide with 7 wts -145 to 163 or 163 to 185? There were plenty of tweeners with that.

 

Now we can look forward to seeing Jordan Oliver or the Altons trying to decide at which weight to wrestle - 140# or 165#.

[wnywrestling 62]

The International Olympic Committee says one weight category in both men's freestyle and Greco-Roman will be transferred to women's freestyle.

Another idea would have been to transfer 3 Greco-Roman weights to women's freestyle and leave men's freestyle alone. Without a women's counterpart, 4 weights are good enough for Greco.

[JasonBryant 1,627]

IOC requires that the rules of wrestling be the same in off years as in the Olympics.

 

I'm actually looking specifically for that rule somewhere. But the IOC does what it wants and doesn't have to provide any one of us proles anything. The difference might be in the wording. There aren't different rules, just different weights. Might be the opening we need to take back our world championships.

 

It makes zero sense the IOC can govern how international federations run their World Championships in non-Olympic years.

[JasonBryant 1,627]

 

I am seriously appalled by the headline on TheMat.com. This is serious, sad news for our sport and they spin it as an addition of weight classes.

 

TheMat.com posted the same headline the Associated Press used (or variants of it used on Google searches, etc.) AWN/IWN took editorial license with the headline of the AP story.

[RED 44]

The solution is simple. Drop women's wrestling. It should never have been introduced to the Olympics (let along the world) in the first place. I am appalled at those suggesting we should sacrifice Greco before women's. What is going on here is worse than Title 9. The IOC's actions (or FILA) do not take into account participant levels or demands. This has gotten to be one very bad joke.

[RED 44]

Jaroslav Hasek wrote:

wouldnt 9 and 9 or even 8 and 8 be better than 6, 6 and 6?

 

i dont want to se...

 

Wrestling is cannibalizing itself to meet the dual mandates of increasing opportunities for female wrestlers without increasing the overall number of athletes. I honestly think that dropping Greco from the Olympics in order to get the number of Freestyle weight classes back to a reasonable number is the only viable solution. Greco-Roman wouldn't disappear from National and World Championships, just from the Olympic program.

 

I'd rather we have one style that is fully supported and viable than two styles that are totally neutered.

 

 

I agree

 

Why would you suggest dropping Greco before dropping women's freestyle?

[oldrules 32]

So we are back to monkeys and footballs again. Wrestling is no longer dying, it is dead. Why should we accept 6 wts per style and still no guarantee that wrestling will be back in 2020. Screw fila and the ioc and drop out of both and give wrestling back its balls (and I am not talking about footballs either)

[LongShot 13]

Cut Greco and add a weight to freestyle. Men's and women's.

[dsnc471 25]

I've always been a big fan of international wrestling, because despite the quirky rules, I've always wanted to watch the best in the world at something showcase their abilities. And the quality of the wrestlers at the World Championship level is unquestionably the best of the best. As fun as college wrestling is to watch, most college wrestlers are still fairly unrefined, which is why most get blown out of the water when they first enter the senior circuit. However, with the decline of wrestling on the international level, we will no longer have the opportunity to watch the best of the best. 6 weight classes is a joke, and will prevent most wrestlers from competing. In a sport where size and strength make a difference, having 25-30 pounds in between classes means that the sport will only be accessible to the rare few whose bodies happen to fall in a perfect range to make one of those weights. And so the end result is that wrestling on the international level suffers.

[LongShot 13]

I've always been a big fan of international wrestling, because despite the quirky rules, I've always wanted to watch the best in the world at something showcase their abilities. And the quality of the wrestlers at the World Championship level is unquestionably the best of the best. As fun as college wrestling is to watch, most college wrestlers are still fairly unrefined, which is why most get blown out of the water when they first enter the senior circuit. However, with the decline of wrestling on the international level, we will no longer have the opportunity to watch the best of the best. 6 weight classes is a joke, and will prevent most wrestlers from competing. In a sport where size and strength make a difference, having 25-30 pounds in between classes means that the sport will only be accessible to the rare few whose bodies happen to fall in a perfect range to make one of those weights. And so the end result is that wrestling on the international level suffers.

 

Yes. There are quite a few 'tweeners now.

[bman546 11]

I don't think a push to cut Greco is something that will fly in places like Iran, Russia, Cuba, Bulgaria etc... I also don't think cutting a style is good for the sport. Wrestling needs to stop cannibalizing themselves. Fewer weight classes is bad for the sport and bad for the future of the sport as well. It doesn't show a lot of pride or confidence in the sport to discuss fewer styles and/or weight classes. What happens when USA Wrestling, or FILA etc. (the powers that be) continue to cave, drop weight classes, and drop styles and the Olympics still drops wrestling? Have wrestling the way it is supposed to be and should be. I'm all for 10 weight classes and three styles (don't ask me to decide how many or which weight classes for women). Work like hell to keep wrestling in the Olympics by building up the sport, not through capitulation. Make the sport better. Don't hurt the sport because of outside organizations whims.

[The_Education 24]

Three things:

 

1) We are lucky Stan posts here. He doesn't have to. It's probably not a good idea to badger him.

 

2) Adding women's wrestling is one of the best things FILA has done. Women have their own divisions in sports such as taekwondo, judo, boxing, and weightlifting, not to mention the more popular Olympic sports like track and swimming. Not having women's wrestling would make wrestling look really backward.

 

3) Trying to get more equality between women's and men's wrestling is right thing to do. However, if 18 is the limit on gold medals, I think it's pretty obvious freestyle or Greco has to go. FILA has already advised that a style should go.

 

Six weight classes per style is not enough. Because women's wrestling is freestyle, I think it makes the most sense to drop Greco as an Olympic sport. FILA would still hold world championships for Greco. That would allow for 9 weight classes for women's wrestling, and nine for freestyle.

 

Greco is done as an Olympic sport. The question is, Is freestyle and women's wrestling also done?

[PAFAN01 43]

I am just totally disgusted. I have been to 3 Olympics and 3 world championships and now as the number of participants keeps getting smaller there comes a time when it just isn't worth it to go to events to just see 6 weight classes. The IOC has ruined the sport and it is time to just get out. I can live without wrestling in the Olympics but I can't live without wrestling. Time to man up and add more weight classes and screw the IOC. What are we fighting for? Finally got the rules changed to something reasonable and now we get less participation. They have effectively eliminated wrestling from the 2016 Olympics. No need to worry about 2020.

[tirapell 34]

Three things:

 

1) We are lucky Stan posts here. He doesn't have to. It's probably not a good idea to badger him.

 

2) Adding women's wrestling is one of the best things FILA has done. Women have their own divisions in sports such as taekwondo, judo, boxing, and weightlifting, not to mention the more popular Olympic sports like track and swimming. Not having women's wrestling would make wrestling look really backward.

 

3) Trying to get more equality between women's and men's wrestling is right thing to do. However, if 18 is the limit on gold medals, I think it's pretty obvious freestyle or Greco has to go. FILA has already advised that a style should go.

 

Six weight classes per style is not enough. Because women's wrestling is freestyle, I think it makes the most sense to drop Greco as an Olympic sport. FILA would still hold world championships for Greco. That would allow for 9 weight classes for women's wrestling, and nine for freestyle.

 

Greco is done as an Olympic sport. The question is, Is freestyle and women's wrestling also done?

 

On your first point, I couldn't disagree more. I am about as lucky that Stan posts here as I am lucky that the fate of our sport is in FILA's hands. Take that for what you make of it.

 

Stan's job is to serve wrestling worldwide. He should be actively engaged in discussions almost religiously to help gather ideas to push our sport forward. He's no more above it than any of us, and since he has input, it's even more important for him to be actively involved.

 

FILA thinks wrestling exists to provide them with power and title. I think FILA exists to serve the people of wrestling worldwide, and at that they have failed miserably beyond description.

[sgallan 592]

Okay, cutting back on weight classes sucks. But for those who say blow off the IOC and wrestling in the Olympics......

 

..... that will hugely impact collegiate wrestling programs, and likely HS level wrestling programs as well. When budget cuts come, or Title IX considerations come into play; wrestling has always had history, and a legacy of being in the Olympics. These have been at least talking points for justification to continue the sport, for those administrators, who know nothing about the sport (most of them). Take that rationale away, and give an AD a tight budget, or Title IX issues, and without the historical background, and/or Olympic sport credibility, then wrestling is a pretty easy target in any geographical area without a wrestling tradition (most of the United States).

 

Be careful for what you wish for..... cutting off ones nose to spite their face is never good tactics.

[PRyan2012 343]

My guess from what I am hearing is: And this will be implemented in 2014?

 

119 Mega

 

136 Steiber

 

155 Dake

 

170 Burroughs

 

201 Varner

 

265 Tervel

[dsnc471 25]

My guess from what I am hearing is: And this will be implemented in 2014?

 

119 Mega

 

136 Steiber

 

155 Dake

 

170 Burroughs

 

201 Varner

 

265 Tervel

From where are you hearing this? I hope those aren't the weights. But I guess that can't really be too far off can it? It really drives home how ridiculous it looks when you put it on paper. How can you go from 170 to 201? I don't think Varner can make a 201 though, but as of right now, Burroughs and Varner couldn't even wrestle with each other in practice because of the size difference. Burroughs could break his neck trying a blast double on someone as large and strong as Varner.

[cpwrestler 0]

If its all a numbers game, why aren't we dropping 4 athletes per men's weight and adding them to the women's. 16 person draws across the board and 7 weights is WAY better than 20 person and 6 weights

[GockeS 388]

tried to tell you guys last spring we were doomed.

[WreslingSuperior 123]

Judo tkd and boxing have man and female styles but have 1 discipline. Wrestling needs one style with 9 male categories and 9 female weight classes. In my opinion.