“Oklahoma Olympic wrestling has a rich heritage and deep roots that go back to 1924, when we had Olympic medalists setting a trend for all of us to follow,” Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith said. “The medals that the state of Oklahoma has won in the sport of wrestling are phenomenal. I’m very honored to be a small part of this great wrestling state.”
Smith was a six-time world champion between 1987-92, and two of those titles came with Olympic gold medals in the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul and in Barcelona in 1992.
Oklahoma is not the first state to pass a resolution like this and it won’t be the last as 13 other states are in the process of urging the International Olympic Committee to reverse its decision made in mid-February to recommend the removal of wrestling as an Olympic sport.
“I’m proud that at the state capitol we’re recognizing what wrestling in the Olympics has meant to the state of Oklahoma,” Smith said. “This house concurrent resolution is a way of letting the IOC know that we will continue to fight for wrestling to stay in the Olympics.”
Expected to be in attendance are several leaders within the wrestling world including four-time All-American from the University of Oklahoma Roger Frizzell, Olympic champion Wayne Wells and Smith.
The session will begin at 1 p.m. at the Capitol building.
In late May, the IOC executive board will meet in St. Petersburg, Russia, to review which of the eight potential provisional sports will be sent to the IOC general assembly for a final vote of inclusion in the 2020 Games. The final vote will take place in September in Argentina.
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