[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 1725-1726]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     ELIMINATING OLYMPIC WRESTLING

  Mr. BROWN. Madam President, I rise in support of a great sport with a 
great tradition in our Nation, especially in Ohio. Unfortunately, the 
sport of wrestling may be put on the sidelines at the Olympic games.
  Citing ``an effort to ensure the Olympic games remain relevant to 
sports

[[Page 1726]]

fans of all generations,'' the International Olympic Committee--the 
organization that controls the Olympics--voted to eliminate wrestling 
from the summer games after the 2016 Olympics. They want to end 
wrestling, one of the original Olympic games, while keeping other games 
that, frankly, lack the central role wrestling has played in its 
accessibility to all athletes wherever they live.
  Many of these are young people who lack access. Many of them want and 
do compete in wrestling at the high school level, the intercollegiate 
level or perhaps at the Olympic level but lack access to fancy 
equipment or specialized training. They simply want to compete at a 
sport perhaps almost as old as humanity.
  Wrestling has opened doors for working and middle-class youngsters 
from Ohio and around the country. That is why I recently introduced a 
Senate resolution opposing the elimination of wrestling from the 
Olympics beginning in 2020. On behalf of thousands of high school 
students and two 2012 Olympians with Ohio connections, I am asking the 
Olympics committee to reconsider putting a stranglehold on one of the 
original Olympic sports.
  Wrestling has been a sport far longer than the International Olympic 
Committee has been in existence. In addition to the ancient Egyptians 
and Greeks and Romans, our Nation has a long history with wrestling. 
President Lincoln was a wrestler, and two Ohio-born Presidents, Ulysses 
S. Grant and William Howard Taft, were wrestlers. One of our former 
colleagues--beloved in many ways--my friend Paul Wellstone of Minnesota 
was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2000.
  At the time of his induction, he said:

       Wrestling has always been a big thing for me. I've had a 
     love affair with the sport for most of my life. It helped me 
     as a kid. I got in some trouble, then I found a sport I was 
     good at, and that transferred to better things in other 
     areas.

  The same is true for some 11,000 high school wrestlers and students 
at 4 universities with 17 NCAA wrestling programs in my home State. 
From youth wrestling camps to high school meets such as the renowned 
J.C. Gorman Invitational in my hometown of Mansfield, to the NCAA 
tournaments, students from Ohio learn the strength, the discipline, and 
focus that allow grapplers to exceed both on the mat and beyond.
  Wrestling is accessible for working-class athletes, unlike some of 
the sports protected in the IOC's decision. Wrestling has a proud 
tradition in my State, in the United States, and has a proud tradition 
around the world. The IOC should not ratify this preliminary decision 
by its executive board. It should continue its efforts to remain 
relevant for all athletes and communities around the world.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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