16 May 2013

Superpowers to take on wrestling's expulsion from Olympics

6:23 am on 16 May 2013

The United States, Iran and Russia have forged an unlikely heavyweight alliance to keep the ancient sport of wrestling in the Olympic Games.

While political differences between the three are deep, the national teams from the three wrestling superpowers will grapple with each other in New York's Grand Central Station railway terminal to back the campaign.

Wrestling has been in shock since the International Olympic Committee announced in February that it wanted the sport ejected for the 2020 Games.

The bouts between the US, Iranian and Russian teams in New York and then in Los Angeles are part of a new offensive to make the sport more attractive.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has said he will raise the case.

The full IOC will decide in September whether to keep wrestling or add squash, roller sports, karate, wushu, the nautical sport wakeboard or sport climbing for the 2020 Olympics.

Wrestling first appeared in 708 BC and has only ever been left out of the Olympic once before, in 1900.