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Wrestling Out of 2020 Olympics

Posted: 3:16 PM Feb 15, 2013

STATELINE (WIFR) -- We learned this week that one of the oldest Olympic sports has been thrown from the ring. The International Olympic Committee decided to remove wrestling from the 2020 games.

This decision is taking a toll on local wrestlers. We stopped by Harlem High School’s practice and talked with Harlem coach and former university of Illinois wrestler Cal Ferry. He says the IOC’s decision is like taking the Super Bowl of wrestling away. He adds that most wrestlers do not have the option of going pro like other high school sports.

"There is no money involved in wrestling. You know, everybody does it for the sport. Everybody's an amateur, and that's what the Olympics, what I think the Olympics, that's what I think the Olympics is about,” said Coach Ferry.

The good news is that Ferry doesn’t think the decision will deter future wrestlers. More than 300,000 Illinois highschoolers have competed in the sport over the past 90 years.