It’s like taking the Stanley Cup away from the NHL.
That’s what Vancouver teen wrestlers say, after the International Olympic Committee announced this week it’s recommending not to include the sport in the 2020 games.
The gym at Vancouver’s Gladstone Secondary is divided into four rings, with pairs of kids trying to pin their opponent, and their peers and coaches egging them on.
Both boys and girls say they feel like the Olympic decision is hitting below the belt.
“I was just sad when I found out, you know? We have a lot of pride in it,” says one teen.
“You’re going up and up and up in the sport, and then all of a sudden, the biggest thing in the sport, the Olympics … it just crashes you down.”
They say wrestling is one of the original Olympic sports, it takes into account all elements of athletic ability, and it’s fun to watch.
One boy says he hopes Canada, which has earned a few wrestling medals, will push to change the IOC’s mind.
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