Wrestling is growing in popularity in among Calgary kids, thanks in part to Canada’s Olympic medals, but those role models could vanish from the podium.
The International Olympic Committee is dropping wrestling from the 2020 Olympics, basing the decision on global participation, television ratings and ticket sales.
“This is not a case of what’s wrong with wrestling, it is what’s right with the 25 cores sports,” says IOC spokesperson Mark Adams. “And that I think, is the way that we, as the IOC, will look at it.”
The head of the national women’s wrestling team is hoping Olympic officials open their eyes to the strength of the sport around the world.
“If it was a dying sport and no one was doing it, I could understand the rationale,” says Leigh Vierling.
The IOC announcement is a crushing one at the grassroots level, the source of many Olympic wrestlers.
15-year-old Emeli Castrow-Arana is a student at Bishop Grandin high school and a determined competitor.
“I know there are other wrestlers that one day I am going to lose to, but winning is just a really good feeling because I know I’ve accomplished something really good that I like.”
Grayson Manning is also on Bishop Grandin’s wrestling team- he’s a defending Alberta champion.
“You seem them standing on the podium – and that’s what you want for yourself. You see that and you say that’s probably the best feeling ever. I want to be there.”
Bishop Grandin’s team is 72 strong.
“We were at a tournament last week and there were 300 athletes there, and that’s mostly Calgary athletes,” says coach Hugh Cameron. ” I don’t remember reading anything about modern pentathlon since the last Olympics, so I don’t know why they picked wrestling.”
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