Questions for FILA President Lalovic

[Richard_Immel 40]

I will have FILA President Nenad Lalovic on for our last google+ hangout in this Keep Olympic Wrestling series. I know many of you have expressed opinions on many of FILA's actions since the February vote. Here is a chance for you to get some answers from the leader of FILA. If you have any questions you would like to see asked to Lalovic please comment below.

 

The hangout will be this thursday. Time has not yet been set.

RSVP here:

https://plus.google.com/events/c7mb10pevmigl7ch8jfb239eb58?hl=en&partnerid=gplp0

 

It can be watched on the Keep Olympic Wrestling YouTube channel here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/KeepOlympicWrestling/feed

 

Let's keep up the fight for wrestling! 12 more days!

[Billyhoyle 2,489]

Any of these would be great, thanks.

 

1. Do you know that your organization is widely despised throughout the American wrestling community? What are you going to do to change this perception in the minds of American fans, a market that is crucial for the long term success of olympic wrestling?

 

2. Is there any reason to have a 7 point technical superiority other than to shorten the match?

 

3. What is the cause for the rules to be "reinterpreted" since they were first introduced?

 

4. Is there still strong support for Martinetti within FILA?

 

5. Given the need to expand weight classes for women was crucial for the upcoming vote, is FILA confident that it will be able to increase the overall number of weight classifications in the long term? What is your organization currently doing to achieve this goal.

 

6. What measures is FILA taking to market the upcoming world championships?

[2td3nf 588]

We want our 10 weight classes back.

[sockobuw 49]

when will fila address the new rules with example situations properly? the video they put out was terrible and promptly pulled down. the rules seemed to be great for the united 4 wrestling event then slowly more complicated interpretations crept into the way officials were calling matches. i assume the federations have been briefed prior to the fila cadet and fila junior events. when will the fans that are crucial to the sport going to get a proper explanation of the rules and how situations are to be properly scored.

[fullnelson 130]

Highly suggest Anklepick's offering below(most posters on here think likewise)

 

Push out = 1 pt

TD (from shot, front head, go behind, counter offense, whatever!) = 2 pt

TD to back = 3 pt

Turn = 2 pt

 

2-3 minute periods with 3 minute periods added for OT, first score wins. Tech is 10 points.

 

All the other crap (2 three point moves will end a match, "pass behind" being only 1 point, hand to hand turns being 1 etc) is OUT. Too confusing for fans and athletes.

[jstock 125]

1. Has FILA tried to get a consensus on the version of rules that athletes and coaches would like to see ?

 

2. Can you explain the logistical and facility restrictions that limit the session times or wrestling in general?

a. Do limited session times make 2 Bronze medals necessary ? or are the 2 Bronze used as a way to artifically create a more broad medal distribution ?

b. If session times are limited by the IOC, is there a reason we can't run more mats during the limited sessions?

[TripNSweep 791]

I'd imagine I'd get this kind of response for asking a question.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBQwj4SfQ8I

[ec145nku 0]

Up to this most recent Olympics, the women have been allowed to add weight classes to their world championships in non-Olympic years. However, from what I understand, the men have been rejected to have this same opportunity. Why are women allowed to add weight classes but men are not?

[mspart 270]

Up to this most recent Olympics, the women have been allowed to add weight classes to their world championships in non-Olympic years. However, from what I understand, the men have been rejected to have this same opportunity. Why are women allowed to add weight classes but men are not?

 

A slightly different way of asking this would be like this:

 

In Olympic years, Women's FS had their own World Championships with all their weight classes as in off Olympic years. Has any thought been entertained to do the same for men and increase the weights for Men's FS and GR to 10 weights for World Championships? With Olympic weights down to 6, this should be a serious consideration for FILA.

 

mspart

[RetiredPoster 87]

As Judo and Boxing have done,

 

Does FILA ever consider limiting the amount of Olympic Games officials can work, in order to make FILA seem less "Mafia-Ish"?

[AnklePicker 649]

My question is, when is enough enough? How many weights are we willing to cut in order to appease the IOC? Would 3 be acceptable the next go around? Light, middle and hwt?

 

At what point does the lack of opportunities in the sport trump being part of the Olympics?

 

Personally I'm past my limit. 7 was as low as I feel you can fairly go. 6 is just a sheer travesty.

[de4856 379]

I would like to see Men go back to eight weight classes, 125, 136, 149, ect.ect. However, I believe going below the seven weight classes would be patently unfair to many competitors. If it is a question about adding additional weight classes for women, then by all means add more classes for them. I am all for an equal playing field but at the end of the day the people who run FILA and the IOC need to realize men are physically different than women with a different height and weight span, and trying to make men fit into someone's political idea is just silly and unfair.

[vhsalum 43]

Is it important to FILA to limit the subjectivity in scoring bouts?

 

What are the protocols for ensuring officials are CONSISTENTLY making the right calls and the SAME CALLS?

 

Will FILA consider only "changing/interpreting/addition to" the rules once a year?

 

We have been told by one of your board members that FILA is interested in each bout determining the "better wrestler." If that is the case, then why have the bouts end prematurely with rule criteria other than a pin?

[vhsalum 43]

With the reduction in weight classes at the Olympic Games, weight classes need to be added. What is FILA doing to add weight classes in non-Olympic years. How many weights are being considered?

[2td3nf 588]

Just saw the interview.

 

Not being a wise guy, but Rich, your 6-6-6 question was ingenious. How fitting.

 

President Lalovic seemed like a nice guy, and I agree with him that the new rules create a lot more scoring and aggressive wrestling. I totally disagree with him and FILA about the weight classes (6-6-6).

 

You know what Rich, after hearing your previous interview with Igali and Pedro, I now agree with Alexander Karelin that this whole FILA/IOC weight class farce is a "Blessing in disguise".

 

I hope the IOC votes for softball/baseball instead of wrestling. The IOC can keep their 6-6-6.

 

And then I hope the international wrestling community rallies and fixes our great and historic sport. We deserve our 10 weight classes back.

[RetiredPoster 87]

Richard,

 

I wish you would have asked my "officials" question, because it is a big part of this whole thing....

 

But, as we know, in the eyes of American wrestling, officials are not looked upon as an important part of this equation, yet they are....and way more than you know.

[RetiredPoster 87]

Richard,

 

I wish you would have asked my "officials" question, because it is a big part of this whole thing....

 

But, as we know, in the eyes of American wrestling, officials are not looked upon as an important part of this equation, yet they are....and way more than you know.

[quanon 161]

Richard,

 

I wish you would have asked my "officials" question, because it is a big part of this whole thing....

 

But, as we know, in the eyes of American wrestling, officials are not looked upon as an important part of this equation, yet they are....and way more than you know.

 

My understanding is that one of the first things that Martinetti when he took over was impose an age limit on officials in order to get rid of corruption in the officiating corps.

 

At this point, I am beginning to worry that we lack enough qualified international officials to be so picky. The rules are complex, and there seem to be many missed calls, particularly now with the rules in flux.

 

Maybe you know something I don't -- should we be worried specifically about refs being biased or bought off?

[RetiredPoster 87]

Bought off? No

 

As an official, you don't find out your assignment until minutes before the bout. It would be hard to pay off an official. And that being said, the group of officials that are in the upper tiers, 99 % are good guys and I don't see them as the "bribe" types, although there are a several that are "creepy".

 

In Boxing and Judo, the referees are limited to the number of Olympic Games they can work. The FILA referees that referee the World Cup and Junior and Cadet Worlds, are more than capable of officiating the Olympic Games and Senior Worlds and I feel strongly that more people should have a chance. In many countries, the guys who are sent to represent their respective countries, are not the best referees in the country. It's still a "Good ole boys" network, to some degree.

 

I am not saying send every "Joe Schmoe" referee to the Olympic Games, but in a America, there are 25-30 guys, Category 1 referees who are capable of doing the Olympic Games and will never get the chance because of this "no-limit" attitude.

[RetiredPoster 87]

Richard,

 

I wish you would have asked my "officials" question, because it is a big part of this whole thing....

 

But, as we know, in the eyes of American wrestling, officials are not looked upon as an important part of this equation, yet they are....and way more than you know.

 

My understanding is that one of the first things that Martinetti when he took over was impose an age limit on officials in order to get rid of corruption in the officiating corps.

 

At this point, I am beginning to worry that we lack enough qualified international officials to be so picky. The rules are complex, and there seem to be many missed calls, particularly now with the rules in flux.

 

Maybe you know something I don't -- should we be worried specifically about refs being biased or bought off?

 

 

I don't think the age limit has anything to do with this...People are living much longer, healthier lives and are mentally sound well into their 60's and 70's.

[AnklePicker 649]

According to FILA board member of 17 years Pelle Svensson yes you can be bought off. Well perhaps not bought off but heavily pressured in 1 way or another. He claims Russian Federation president and fila bureau member Mamiashvili was signaling to the referee during matches.

 

You can read about it on FILA's wiki page: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internat ... ing_Styles

[quanon 161]

Your link says that Svensson claimed the ref was paid $150,000 for that match.

[AnklePicker 649]

Like I said paid off ha.

[RetiredPoster 87]

I don't know which match are you referring to?

[quanon 161]

The FILA referees that referee the World Cup and Junior and Cadet Worlds, are more than capable of officiating the Olympic Games and Senior Worlds and I feel strongly that more people should have a chance.

Unless there's evidence of corruption or bias (or evidence that the best refs are being held back from the top level competitions), I think I'd prefer for the top ranking refs to continue working the matches. I didn't watch many matches of Cadet Worlds, but I saw a few bizarre calls in the matches I did watch (Pico losing two by hitting his butt out of bounds comes to mind) -- and these were confirmed calls, not just the ref throwing up something odd and being overruled. It's obviously important to keep reffing errors to a minimum.