BILL ANALYSIS �
SCR 26
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Date of Hearing: May 14, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS, TOURISM, AND
INTERNET MEDIA
Ian C. Calderon, Chair
SCR 26 (Correa) - As Amended: May 9, 2013
SENATE VOTE : 37-0
SUBJECT : Wrestling: Olympic Games
SUMMARY : Proclaims that the California Legislature urges the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) to continue to include
wrestling as a core sport of the Olympic Games.
Specifically, this resolution makes the following findings:
1)The IOC Executive Board recently announced that wrestling will
be removed from the list of 25 core sports at the 2020 Olympic
Games, though this is not final.
2)The IOC Executive Board will meet in May 2013 in St.
Petersburg, Russia, to decide which sport or sports to propose
for inclusion, and the entire IOC will vote on the final
program at the IOC session, or general assembly, in September
2013 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
3)Wrestling was one of the original sports in the ancient
Olympic Games in Greece. During the ancient Olympic Games,
beginning in 708 B.C., wrestling was the decisive discipline
of the Pentathlon. It was the last discipline of the games to
be held, after the discus, the javelin, the long jump, and the
footrace, and its winner was designated the winner of the
Pentathlon, the only crowned athlete of the games.
4)Wrestling is one of the most diverse sports in the world, with
nearly 200 nations from all continents participating in the
sport.
5)Wrestling is an inclusive sport that provides opportunities
worldwide, regardless of geography, race, gender, or physical
characteristics, and provides mainstream opportunities to
athletes of all physical builds and body sizes, including the
blind, deaf, and physically handicapped student athletes who
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may not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in
athletics.
6)Wrestling builds great strength, not only of body, but also of
character, including the virtues of self-confidence,
self-discipline, courage, and leadership, and wrestling is
recognized for serving communities throughout the nation by
partnering with law enforcement, schools, and churches to
provide programs to prevent and neutralize juvenile
delinquency, especially gang-related crimes for many at-risk
youth.
7)Wrestling has produced many outstanding national leaders,
including Presidents of the United States, justices of United
States Supreme Court, members of the United States Congress,
and business and military leaders, and many outstanding
leaders in California, including many Olympic champions, such
as Olympic gold medalists Dave and Mark Schultz and 2012
Olympic gold medalist Jake Varner.
8)More than 70 countries competed in wrestling in London at the
2012 Olympic Games with more Olympic medals awarded to a
greater variety of nations than in almost any other sport.
9)California is the leading state in athlete membership for USA
Wrestling and the state with the largest participation in high
school wrestling.
10)Wrestling has become a pathway to higher education for many
young Californians, in particular, those with a
socio-economically challenged background.
11)Many of these young Californians dream of representing the
United States on the international stage at the Olympic Games.
12)The California Interscholastic Federation Boys Wrestling
State Championships have been hosted at Rabobank Arena in
Bakersfield, California, since 2005 and the Girls Wrestling
State International Championships have been hosted at Lemoore
High School in Lemoore California since 2011.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS :
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1) Author's Statement : According to the author, in early
February the IOC Executive Board recommended that wrestling
be eliminated from the Olympics starting at the 2020 games,
and states, "I was appalled to learn that wrestling was
being eliminated from the Olympics. Wrestling not only
provides a pathway to represent our state and country on
the international stage, but it also provides a gateway for
many at-risk youth who through wrestling have gone on to
further their education and become pillars in their
communities."
"Wrestling has been a traditional strength of the United
States Olympic team, with 124 medals having been awarded to
the United States in the modern Olympics. There are more
than 280,000 wrestlers participating in high school.
Wrestling is also the fastest growing sport for girls on
the high school level. California is considered one of the
nation's strongest wrestling states, with the quality and
popularity of the annual CIF State Wrestling Championships
at the highest level."
He adds that California has produced numerous Olympic
wrestling medalists, including Olympic champions Dave Schultz,
Mark Schultz and Jake Varner, Olympic silver medalists Stephen
Abas, Jamill Kelly, Townsend Saunders and Greg Gibson, Olympic
bronze medalists Patricia Miranda and Adam Wheeler plus
numerous World champions and medalists in all three styles.
2)IOC Final Vote to Remove Wrestling is Set for September :
According to information supplied by the author, in early
February the IOC Executive Board recommended to the IOC
general assembly a list of core sports for inclusion in the
Olympics. Wrestling was not included in that list of core
sports. The IOC General Assembly will meet in September to
vote on that recommendation. In the meantime, the IOC is
evaluating the inclusion of wrestling, along with a pool of
seven other sports as core sports in the Olympic Games. These
include baseball/softball, karate, wushu, roller sports, sport
climbing and wakeboard.
The next step in the process will take place in late May, when
the Executive Board will meet in St. Petersburg, Russia.
There, wrestling will compete against those seven sports for
inclusion in the 2020 Olympic program. They will reduce the
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eight candidate sports to a shortlist on which wrestling may
yet have an opportunity to be included.
According to press reports, the IOC had warned FILA, the
international governing body of wrestling that its sport was
at risk unless it met a mandate that all Olympic sports raise
more private money, modernize with an eye toward boosting TV
coverage, leverage social media and develop gender equity.
[Clark: Wrestling supporters campaign to preserve sport's
place in Summer Olympics (May 8, 2013) Washingtonpost.com].
In response to the IOC vote and in an effort to urge the IOC
to reverse course, FILA fired then-President Martinetti, hired
public relations consultants, proposed adding two weight
classes for women, and a raft of other changes including
simplifying rules to speed the action and having Greco-Roman
wrestlers compete shirtless. [Id; AP, Wrestling wants to add
two women's weight classes in Olympics (May 8, 2013) SI.com]
It should be noted that wrestling is not yet out of the
Olympics. It will be contested at the 2016 Olympic Games.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file.
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Dana Mitchell / A.,E.,S.,T. & I.M. /
(916) 319-3450