SR0232 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0232 LRB098 11771 MST 44824 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee has proposed eliminating the sport of wrestling from the Summer Olympic Games beginning in 2020; and

WHEREAS, The proposal remains to be approved or disapproved by the full committee at its September 2013 general assembly; and

WHEREAS, Wrestling was one of the original sports of the ancient Greek Olympic Games in 708 B.C. and of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896; it may be the world's oldest sport; and

WHEREAS, Wrestling has been a traditional strength of the United States Olympic team, with 124 medals having been awarded to the United States throughout history; and

WHEREAS, The sport of wrestling builds great strength, not only of body, but also of character, including the virtues of self-confidence, self-discipline, courage, and sportsmanship; and

WHEREAS, Wrestling has produced many outstanding national leaders, including presidents, United States supreme court justices, members of congress, and business and military leaders, as well as many outstanding leaders in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Wrestling provides mainstream opportunities to athletes of all physical builds and body sizes, including the visually impaired, hearing impaired, and otherwise physically challenged student athletes who may not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in athletics; and

WHEREAS, Illinois has the second most high school wrestlers of any state in the nation with 17,112 high school boys and girls wrestling in the 2011-12 year; the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation, USA Wrestling's state association in Illinois, has the largest membership in the nation within USA Wrestling, with almost 19,000 members ages 5-14 last year and a complete program of events and opportunities for wrestlers of all levels in the State; and

WHEREAS, Many of these young Illinoisians dream of representing the United States on the international stage at the Olympic Games; Illinois has produced numerous Olympic team members including Ellis Coleman, T.C. Dantzler, Jim Gruenwald, Joe Williams, Kevin Bracken, Derrick Waldroup, Michial Foy, Rob Eiter, Mike Farina, and others plus world medalists and team members in all 3 styles; and

WHEREAS, Illinois is also active in college wrestling, with 18 college programs including Division I universities Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and the University of Illinois; Division II McKendree University; Division III universities Augustana College, Elmhurst College, Knox College, North Central College, the University of Chicago, Wheaton College, and junior college programs Kennedy-King College, Lincoln College, Rend Lake College, Triton College, Waubonsee CC, Wilbur Wright College, and William Rainey Harper College; former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert of Illinois was a college wrestler at Wheaton College and successful high school coach before entering public service; and

WHEREAS, Wrestling is so ingrained in the life and history of the United States and the State of Illinois that even the 16th U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln, was an accomplished wrestler; his prowess as a grappler earned him enshrinement in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and he is noted to have only one defeat in approximately 300 matches over 12 years; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we request that the International Olympic Committee reinstate wrestling as a core sport of the Summer Olympic Games and that the United States Olympic Committee continue to support wrestling and work actively toward the reinstatement of Olympic wrestling; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the International Olympic Committee and to the United States Olympic Committee.