As part of wrestling’s aim to retain its spot in the Olympics, the sport’s world governing body, FILA, is planning to add two weight classes for women into Olympics competition, according to the AP.
Acting FILA president Nenad Lalovic, likely to become the actual president later this month, said that the weight classes will probably fall between 50kg and 74kg. He also plans to give women a more active role in FILA, including adding a female VP and forming a women’s commission.
“Women’s wrestling today is very spectacular. Very interesting to watch,” Lalovic said. “Why shouldn’t we be representative of women as well as men?”
The problem? Adding two weight classes for women means taking away two weight classes from men in the Olympics. But to be fair, men had fourteen weight classes in London - seven Greco-Roman and seven freestyle - and women only had four total, all in freestyle.
“I feel a little bit torn,” U.S. women’s national coach Terry Steiner said. “I do want more weights for women. I think they deserve that. But I don’t want to take away from the men. Men have already given a lot.
“I also think that it’s probably not even an issue. It’s more of either we’re going to change and try to save the sport of wrestling in the Olympic Games, or if we don’t change, there probably won’t be wrestling.”
