Wrestling will implement a string of changes as the sport seeks to win back its Olympic spot with time fast running out, acting international federation (FILA) president Nenad Lalovic said this week.
Lalovic, speaking after a meeting with IOC president Jacques Rogge in Lausanne, said he had presented all the actions undertaken by the federation to modernise their sport and remain in the Games.
“I pointed out the fact that we were going in a wrong direction in the last few years and that we in no way blame the decision of the IOC,” Lalovic told Reuters.
“We have to fix the problems we have in wrestling.”
Last month the sport was surprisingly dropped from a list of core Olympic sports for the 2020 Games, forcing it to join seven other candidate sports that will battle it out for the one vacant spot when the IOC session votes in September.
It still needs, however, to make an IOC shortlist of sports in St Petersburg in May to be put to the vote in September.
“Time is too short,” said the Serbian who took over from Raphael Martinetti who resigned days after their shock Olympic exit.
“Our competitors had two years to prepare and we have 2-1/2 months. Looking from that angle it is a very bad position.”
The other candidate sports are karate, wushu, wakeboarding, sports climbing, roller sports, squash and a joint bid from baseball and softball.
“If we are among those sports (to make the shortlist) that will be the first success for us,” Lalovic said.
Among the most urgent changes are the creation or reform of a number of federation commissions, including bringing in active athletes into the athletes commission, as well as rule changes.
Lalovic, who said he would run as presidential candidate at FILA’s extraordinary congress that must be held before the IOC meeting in May, is eager to get another chance at convincing IOC members.
Several of them have publicly expressed their surprise at the sport’s exclusion with modern pentathlon seen most at risk before the February vote along with taekwondo.
“We now have to prepare our presentation and explain to those IOC members who did not vote for us to vote for us in May,” he said.