Iowa governor Terry Branstad releases letter signed by 33 governors supporting wrestling in the Olympics

DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today released a letter, co-signed by a bipartisan group of 33 governors, calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to keep wrestling an Olympic sport. After asking Iowa's congressional delegation to co-sign a letter to the Olympic committee, Branstad began focusing on bringing together governors in an effort to keep the great sport in the Olympics.


The letter, sent to International Olympic Committee Executive Board President Dr. Jacques Rogge, urges the committee to reconsider their recent decision to remove wrestling as an Olympic sport, effective in 2020.


"The Olympic Games are meant to provide a venue for people from all nations to overcome differences and forge lasting relationships and wrestling has contributed to these Olympic attributes" the governors write. "We believe that renewing or renovating the Olympics should respect key Olympic traditions. We would also encourage a transparent voting system for future votes on which sports should be included as part of the Olympic Games. As public servants, we hold transparency as a sacred principle and we would encourage the IOC to abide by that same principle."


The following is the full text of the letter, including the bipartisan list of governors who joined Gov. Branstad in signing on to the letter:

March 5, 2013


Dr. Jacques Rogge

President, International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board

Chateau de Vidy

Case Postale 356 1001

Lausanne Switzerland


Dear President Rogge:


As governors of states with rich wrestling traditions, we write to express our concerns regarding the recent decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to remove wrestling as an Olympic sport in the 2020 Olympic Games. We strongly urge the IOC to reconsider its position and vote to extend wrestling's long legacy within the Olympic Games.


Wrestling was a key sport in ancient civilization and its inclusion in the Olympics has continued to enrich the ongoing Olympic tradition. Early Olympic organizers recognized wrestling's unique and global importance by including the sport in the 1896 Olympic Games held in Athens. Wrestling has been a key part of the Olympic movement ever since.


The same spirit of competition that drove ancient wrestlers has transcended generations, and our states are the beneficiaries of this spirit. Wrestling accelerates character building. At its core, wrestling is an instinct and embodies the human qualities of hard work, discipline, and perseverance. Dan Gable, an Olympic gold medalist and former US Olympic wrestling coach, succinctly summarized wrestling's character building characteristics when he stated, "Once you've wrestled, everything else in life is easy."


Wrestling's positive impact goes beyond our states and the United States of America. Forms of wrestling have been important parts of cultures worldwide, including China, Ukraine, Japan, Russia, Turkey, and many other countries. Soviet and Russian wrestlers have won 77 gold medals at past Olympic Games. Moreover, wrestling federations exist in approximately 180 countries and the recent London Olympic Games had wrestlers from over 70 countries.


The Olympic Games are meant to provide a venue for people from all nations to overcome differences and forge lasting relationships and wrestling has contributed to these Olympic attributes. We believe that renewing or renovating the Olympics should respect key Olympic traditions. We would also encourage a transparent voting system for future votes on which sports should be included as part of the Olympic Games. As public servants, we hold transparency as a sacred principle and we would encourage the IOC to abide by that same principle.


We encourage your prompt reconsideration of your decision regarding wrestling. We hope that wrestling will continue to be an important part of the Olympic tradition.


Sincerely,


Terry E. Branstad

Governor of Iowa


Robert Bentley

Governor of Alabama


Sean Parnell

Governor of Alaska


Mike Beebe

Governor of Arkansas


John Hickenlooper

Governor of Colorado


Dannel P. Malloy

Governor of Connecticut


Jack Markell

Governor of Delaware


Nathan Deal

Governor of Georgia


Pat Quinn

Governor of Illinois


Sam Brownback

Governor of Kansas


Bobby Jindal

Governor of Louisiana


Paul LePage

Governor of Maine


Martin O'Malley

Governor of Maryland


Rick Snyder

Governor of Michigan


Mark Dayton

Governor of Minnesota


Steve Bullock

Governor of Montana


Dave Heineman

Governor of Nebraska


Brian Sandoval

Governor of Nevada


Maggie Hassan

Governor of New Hampshire


Chris Christie

Governor of New Jersey


Pat McCrory

Governor of North Carolina


John Kasich

Governor of Ohio


Mary Fallin

Governor of Oklahoma


John Kitzhaber, M.D.

Governor of Oregon


Tom Corbett

Governor of Pennsylvania


Alejandro García Padilla

Governor of Puerto Rico


Lincoln Chafee

Governor of Rhode Island


Dennis Daugaard

Governor of South Dakota


Bill Haslam

Governor of Tennessee


Gary Herbert

Governor of Utah


Peter Shumlin

Governor of Vermont


Scott Walker

Governor of Wisconsin


Matt Mead

Governor of Wyoming