GERMANY: WRESTLING: German wrestling association shocked by possible Olympic removal

Record ID: 836849

  • Title: GERMANY: WRESTLING: German wrestling association shocked by possible Olympic removal
  • Date: 22nd February 2013
  • Summary: ASCHAFFENBURG, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 21, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF WRESTLING TRAINING CENTRE INSIDE TRAINING CENTRE/ WRESTLER RUNNING WRESTLER WARMING UP SPORTS DIRECTOR OF GERMAN WRESTLING ASSOCIATION, JANNIS ZAMANDURIDIS, WATCHING TRAINING SESSION WRESTLER DOING PUSH-UPS ZAMANDURIDIS WATCHING TRAINING TWO WRESTLERS WRESTLING (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPORTS DIRECTOR OF GERMAN WRESTLING ASSOCIATION, JANNIS ZAMANDURIDIS, SAYING: "The reaction was probably the same as with all the others as well: At first a state of shock. You had to get it clear with yourself, what is happening there, it came completely unexpected. It was a hit from the side, no one had expected it. In the run-up, surely, it was discussed how wrestling could be changed and that it should be changed to make it more attractive. But this reaction by the IOC, no one had expected that." WRESTLER FIGHTING (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPORTS DIRECTOR OF GERMAN WRESTLING ASSOCIATION, JANNIS ZAMANDURIDIS, SAYING: "This is to a degree the Olympic spirit. That alliances are coming up on a sport basis that in the political arena would be unthinkable, here Russians join in with Americans, with Iranians. This is a situation which describes the sport and is part of of the Olympic spirit. And this is exactly what we want and stand for." WRESTLER FIGHTING (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPORTS DIRECTOR OF GERMAN WRESTLING ASSOCIATION, JANNIS ZAMANDURIDIS, SAYING (referring to Valentin Yordanov handing back his wrestling gold medal in protest): "I find those activities very helpful. It would be good though if they could be combined together somewhere in order to stand up in front of the IOC with a united voice." WRESTLER FIGHTING (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPORTS DIRECTOR OF GERMAN WRESTLING ASSOCIATION, JANNIS ZAMANDURIDIS, SAYING "Yes, without an Olympic perspective there would be no top-class sport anymore, and without top-class sport there would be no athletes, which means wrestling would become an amateur sport and the entire structure of the sport would suffer from this. Not only with a view to European and World championships, the international direction, but also the entire basis, the clubs, which could not revert back to their top athletes. This would be a tragedy, yes." GERMAN WRESTLING CHAMPION 2010, 84 KILOGRAMS FREESTYLE, PETER WEISENBERGER, FIGHTING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN WRESTLING CHAMPION 2010, 84 KILOGRAMS FREESTYLE, PETER WEISENBERGER, SAYING: "I think that everyone is trying to reach the Olympics, but only a very few prevail. To have this objective on your mind and the possibility to achieve this, is a great motivation, for sure." GERMAN CHAMPION 2012, 66 KILOGRAMS FREESTYLE, TIM MUELLER, FIGHTING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHAMPION 2012, 66 KILOGRAMS FREESTYLE, TIM MUELLER, SAYING: "Yes, tremendously, the incentive for 2016 in Rio of course is even greater. I am only 21 years old, I would have the possibility to take part again in seven years. It would be a shame if that didn't work out." TWO WRESTLERS FIGHTING WIDE OF WRESTLING TRAINING SESSION
  • Embargoed: 9th March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • City:
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA921FDA5W4E1HBCRLUQTMEZBMN
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: German wrestling association reacts with shock to IOC's recommendation that the ancient sport be removed from the Olympic Games.


    The German wrestling association reacted with shock on Thursday (February 21) to the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to drop the ancient sport from the Games from 2020.
    Speaking at the wrestling training centre in the German city of Aschaffenburg, the sports director of the association, Jannis Zamanduris, said changes to wrestling were discussed and needed to make the sport more attractive, but the IOC's reaction was totally unexpected.
    Zamanduris welcomed Iranian and U.S wrestling officials co-operating in an effort to reverse the IOC's stance.
    "This is to a degree the Olympic spirit," he said.
    "That alliances are coming up on a sport basis that in the political arena would be unthinkable, here Russians join in with Americans, with Iranians. This is a situation, which describes the sport and is part of of the Olympic spirit. And this is exactly what we want and stand for."
    Zamanduris also commented on the Bulgarian wrestling federation president Valentin Yordanov, who sent back his Olympic gold medal from the 1996 Atlanta Games in protest on Wednesday (February 20).
    "I find those activities very helpful," he said. "It would be good though if they could be combined together somewhere in order to stand up in front of the IOC with a united voice,"
    He pointed out that the an Olympics without wrestling would have consequences for the entire sport.
    "Yes, without an Olympic perspective there would be no top-class sport anymore, and without top-class sport there would be no athletes, which means wrestling would become an amateur sport and the entire structure of the sport would suffer from this," he said.
    "Not only with a view to European and World championships, the international direction, but also the entire basis, the clubs, which could not revert back to their top athletes. This would be a tragedy, yes."
    German wrestling champions Peter Weisenberger and Tim Mueller both said that without involvement in the Olympics, their motivation would be less.
    "I think that everyone is trying to reach the Olympics, but only a very few prevail. To have this objective on your mind and the possibility to achieve this, is a great motivation, for sure," said Weisenberger.
    Included in the first modern Olympics in 1896 and part of the ancient Games in Olympia, wrestling joins baseball and softball, making a joint bid, martial arts karate and wushu, rollersports, wakeboarding and squash as candidate sports battling for one vacant spot in a revamped programme.
    The IOC executive board will meet in St Petersburg in May to determine which of them will be put to the vote in September at the IOC session in Buenos Aires.
    Wrestling's surprise exit has been blamed by some on a lack of political support within the IOC executive board, where other sports at risk - including modern pentathlon and taekwondo - had the upper hand with representatives in the 15-member group.
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