Wrestling grapples for its Olympic future
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LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AFP) - Wrestling, an Olympic sport since the first Games in ancient Greece, looks set to be dropped for the 2020 edition, after the International Olympic Committee voted on Tuesday to remove it from the programme.
The decision, taken by the 15 members of the IOC executive board, has yet to be ratified by all members of the body but looks likely to be ditched, as seven other disciplines compete for the vacant spot in seven years' time.
Wrestling was always last in the four rounds of voting and in the final round registered 8 votes to expel it with modern pentathlon - which had been seen as the one most likely to lose out - getting three as did field hockey.
Taekwondo bowed out in the third round of voting with no-one voting for its expulsion.
