Wrestling expected to be included in first World Beach Games, awarded to San Diego in 2017

Photo of Mission Beach in San Diego; Beach wrestling action photo courtesy of United World Wrestling.
WASHINGTON – The inaugural Association of National Olympic Committees World Beach Games were awarded Friday to San Diego at the XX ANOC General Assembly. The Olympic-style event will feature more than 20 sports and will take place in 2017, after the International Olympic Committee Session in September.
The ANOC Executive Council put forth the city to the assembly. San Diego was approved by acclamation by the 204 NOCs in attendance.
“We’re thrilled that San Diego was selected to host the first ever ANOC World Beach Games,” said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. “San Diego has the natural capacity for hosting this exciting new event, and has a fantastic beach and sport culture. We look forward to working with ANOC and the city of San Diego in launching the ANOC World Beach Games.”
The ANOC World Beach Games will include modified versions of several Olympic sports, as well as a number of non-Olympic sports. All 206 NOCs will be invited to participate.
Although the final program is not yet announced, wrestling is expected to be one of the sports in the first World Beach Games, according to a number of different media reports.
The World Beach Games San Diego website lists 22 sports, including Beach Wrestling. The other sports listed on the website include 3x3 Basketball, Athletics, Beach Badminton, Beach Handball, Beach Soccer, Beach Tennis, Beach Volleyball, BMX, E-Sports, Flying Disc, Jet Ski, Karate, Marathon Swimming, Skateboarding, Stand Up Paddle Racing, Surfing, Triathlon, Wake Boarding, Wall Climbing, Water Polo, Windsurfing. According to the website, the competition will include 10 days of action.
United World Wrestling, then called FILA, announced the creation of international Beach Wrestling during the 2004 Olympic Games. USA Wrestling hosted its first Beach National Championships in Singer Island, Fla. in 2006, and sent a team to compete in the first Beach World Championships event held in Antalya, Turkey in 2006.
The USA has nine different athletes win Beach World medals. The only American to win a Beach World silver medal was Donovan DePatto in 2011. U.S. wrestlers who have won two World bronze medals are Jeff Funicello and Carlos Dolmo. Other men who have won World bronze medals are Ray Downey, Angelo Borzio and Ike Okoli. U.S. women who won Beach World bronze medals were Leigh Jaynes, Bethany Harris and Tanya Miyasaki.
According to reports, the competitions will mainly take place on Mission Beach, with some events being held on the downtown piers.
“We are excited and thank ANOC for selecting San Diego as the inaugural ANOC World Beach Games Host City,” said Vincent Mudd, chairman of the San Diego Exploratory Foundation. “We look forward to sharing our beautiful and vibrant city with the world. As America's Finest City, we will focus on delivering the best experience possible for the athletes, their families and their supporters."
Why San Diego? (from WorldBeachGamesSanDiego.org)
San Diego is at the epicenter of beach, surf and extreme sports culture. We have the natural capacity, strong infrastructure and athletic tradition to successfully host the first ever ANOC World Beach Games.
Endowed with natural beauty, stunning white-sand coastline and temperate climate, San Diego embodies an active lifestyle where the beach is the epicenter of community life. From the surfer’s early rise in search of waves to children building sand castles to athletes rigorously training, our San Diego beaches are enjoyed every minute of the day. Steps beyond the sand is a vibrant, diverse cosmopolitan city in a region pulsating with youthful energy and an overall sense of well-being. Hailed as one of the World’s Smart Cities, San Diego also has an innovation ethos that has made it one of the world’s leading biotechnology and research hubs. All of these elements make our city one of the most desired places to live, work and play.
As one of the top tourist destinations in the world, San Diego hosts over 33 million visitors each year, with visitors spending nearly $8.4 billion annually. Large annual conventions have called San Diego their home, including Comic Con which grew from 100 visitors in the 70s to over 130,000 in recent years, making it the largest Comics and Pop Culture event in the country. San Diego also has a rich history pioneering and hosting major sporting events. From the X Games to the Super Bowl to the Rock and Roll Marathon, San Diego draws hundreds of thousands to its events each year.
The ANOC World Beach Games will blend the beach, active lifestyles and urban living into a vibrant mix that inspires youthful creativity and celebrates global connectivity through sports. We’re ready to show what a powerhouse our city has become and to welcome the world to San Diego.