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

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by Governor Terry

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

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