INSIDE WRESTLING
BY RYAN EVANS
@Badger_Wrestle
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Davis ���shocked��� by IOC
decision to cut wrestling
���84 silver medalist vows to help reverse decision
T
uesday���s decision by the
International Olympic
Committee executive board
to remove wrestling from the
program for the 2020 Summer Games sent shockwaves
through the wrestling community, including Madison,
where Badgers head coach
Barry Davis was ���shocked���
by the news.
56 �� VARSITY
FEB R UA RY 14, 2013
���It���s eye-opening,��� Davis
said. ���Now, we as a sport
have to rally around and
everybody involved in the
sport, at any age, has to
participate and we have to
work together and become
one throughout the whole
world.���
Wrestling���s Olympic fate
isn���t completely sealed yet.
L, 5-34
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The sport can remain in the Games if
it can convince the full IOC to reverse
the board���s decision. Davis ��� a twotime Olympian and 1984 freestyle
silver medalist ��� said that he���s already had discussions with the heads
of USA Wrestling about what he, as a
former Olympian, can do to help petition the IOC���s decision.
Wrestling is one of the Olympics���
oldest sports, dating back to the first
modern era edition of the Games in
1896, and has provided some of the
most memorable moments in Olympic history.
It���s because of the sport���s rich
Olympic heritage, and the strength of
the wrestling community, that Davis
is optimisitc that the IOC will opt to
have wrestling remain in the Games.
���When all is said and done, I think
the people around the world will rally and the IOC will get an idea how
important wrestling is to the Olympic Games,��� Davis said. ���It���s a history you have to keep. They���ll find out
how strong the sport is worldwide
and that will weigh heavy on them,
and they���ll make the decision where
wrestling stays in the Games.���