Which events will make it into the 2020 Olympics? With the International Olympic Committee voting to shortlist baseball/softball, squash, and wrestling as the final candidates, the original eight-way choice has been simplified to a three-way race.
Alongside baseball/softball, squash, and wrestling, five other events—wushu (martial arts), karate, rock climbing, water skiing, and roller sports—are vying for one temporary spot in the 2020 Olympics. Taking all factors into account, it’s reasonable that wrestling and squash stood out, while the inclusion of baseball/softball came as a bit of a surprise.
In February this year, after multiple rounds of voting, the IOC Executive Board decided to drop wrestling—the one of the oldest sports in the modern Olympics. The news sent shockwaves through the international sports community, sparking widespread opposition and lament. Traditional wrestling powerhouses such as Russia, Iran, Japan, and the United States jointly launched a “Save Wrestling” petition campaign, which gained support from many global leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. From the field to the internet, the massive petition and PR efforts put significant pressure on the IOC, forcing then-President Jacques Rogge to repeatedly state that wrestling hadn’t been completely eliminated and still had a “slim chance.”
Aside from playing the “emotional” card, the wrestling community also actively addressed its own shortcomings. Over the past few months, wrestling underwent the most changes, using the words of International Wrestling Federation (UWW) President Nenad Lalovic, who said, “We did everything we could.” On one hand, the UWW proposed adding more women’s events and reducing men’s events to emphasize gender balance; on the other hand, they revised competition rules to encourage more offensive play, aiming to boost the sport’s appeal to attract more young participants. These reform measures earned praise from Rogge. He said, “The UWW understood why wrestling was dropped, and their countermeasures were very targeted. While this doesn’t guarantee wrestling will stay in the Olympics, correcting its flaws is definitely commendable.”
With all this effort, it was widely believed that wrestling was almost certain to secure a place on the final candidate list. And indeed, it did. During the IOC Executive Board vote, wrestling received 8 votes in the first round, gaining support from a majority of the board members.
Before wrestling was dropped, squash was considered the front-runner for the new 2020 Olympic event. Its successful vote was also within expectations. Compared to other candidates, squash’s biggest advantage is its widespread popularity, with 185 national and regional member associations. More impressively, squash world championships have been held on all five continents, highlighting its global reach. Additionally, squash is played in glass courts, which are not only suitable for TV broadcasting but also relatively inexpensive to build.
In contrast, baseball/softball’s success came as a surprise. After all, one of the main reasons baseball was dropped by the IOC in 2005 was that it didn’t include the world’s top players. Meanwhile, Major League Baseball (MLB)—home to the world’s best players—had previously stated it would not interrupt its season for the Olympics, which seemed somewhat defiant.
Its path to inclusion was also rather “mysterious.” According to foreign media reports, baseball/softball received zero votes in the first round. However, when wrestling was the first to advance, and the board voted again for the second candidate, the tables turned dramatically—baseball/softball won after five rounds of voting. Such a dramatic reversal in fate further illustrates that the IOC Executive Board is influenced by various interests, and the fate of Olympic events is essentially a game of interests.
For China, it’s disappointing that wushu once again failed in its bid to enter the Olympics. Objectively speaking, although wushu is practiced and appreciated in some countries and regions, very few people truly understand or practice it globally. Even in China, the popularity of wushu is not high. Statistics from the General Administration of Sport of China a couple of years ago showed that only a few percent of the population practices wushu. Another obstacle for wushu’s Olympic inclusion is the lack of standardized rules, scoring criteria, and competition levels, with many issues related to quantification.
Like squash, karate nearly made it into the Olympics in both 2005 and 2009. Its failure this time may be largely due to the fact that the Olympics already have judo and taekwondo, and it’s difficult to accommodate yet another combat sport.
The exclusion of water skiing, rock climbing, and roller sports may be related to their relatively lower global popularity or the fact that they are still relatively “new” sports.
In September this year, the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina, will hold a vote to determine which among baseball/softball, squash, and wrestling will come out on top. Interestingly, if wrestling manages to “stage a comeback,” the IOC’s original intention of introducing new events will be undermined.