ROLLER COASTER RIDE FOR WRESTLING

Wrestling was reinstated into the Olympic programme for the 2020 and 2024 Games, beating baseball/softball and squash after the ancient sport underwent sweeping reforms since being provisionally dropped in February. Wrestling obtained a majority of 49 votes in a secret ballot among 95 members of the International Olympic Committee after all three sports had made a 20-minute presentation. Baseball/softball, not on the programme since 2008, got 24 votes. Squash, bidding to become a new Olympic sport, had to settle for 22. Wrestling was dropped by the IOC executive board in February 2013, but got into a shortlist with the other two in order to get back into the Games through widespread reform and lobbying from many countries including an unlikely Russia-Iran-U.S. alliance. The vote came after a proposal from Canadian member Dick Pound was rejected to postpone the decision for five months until the Session ahead of the Sochi Winter Games in order to allow a new sport into the programme. Earlier, the IOC approved the 25 core sports at Summer Games with a 77-16 majority. Rugby sevens and golf will be added in 2016 and wrestling now brings the number of sports back to the maximum 28. Baseball/softball lobbied with being played by 65 million people around the world, and with black-and-white footage of legendary players Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig for a return after being dropped following the 2008 Games. But wrestling eventually won and will also benefit from large income through the IOC which distributes a large chunk of its earnings to the sports federations competing in summer and winter Games.