Presenters will highlight the extraordinary changes FILA has made since February

Corsier-Sur-Vevey, Switzerland (29 August, 2013) The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) announced the team that will be making their final presentation at the 125th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Sunday, 8 September. Following this presentation, the full IOC membership will vote on which sport to include in the Olympic Programme for 2020 and 2024. Notably, this five-member team is the same team that made FILA’s successful presentation to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board in May.

In their presentation, the team will highlight all of the extraordinary changes and initiatives FILA has completed this summer; remaking one of the world’s oldest sports. Several of these ground-breaking steps include: innovative rules to encourage competition, new distribution of weight classes to increase opportunities for women and the formation of an athletes’ commission. These changes were supported by a special Save Olympic Wrestling meet in Ancient Olympia, Greece, that featured the first-ever women’s wrestling match at the birthplace of the Olympic Movement.

“I am pleased to announce our team for the final presentation today and I am especially grateful that this team, that has already represented the sport of wrestling so well, will be able to make the trip to Buenos Aires for this historic moment,” said FILA President Nenad Lalovic. “Our final presentation will highlight all of the great work the FILA Bureau and Olympic wrestling fans and supporters have done over the last seven months, as well as explain to the IOC why the version of wrestling they will witness in 2020 is new, exciting and modern.”

Olympic Gold Medalist Carol Huynh added, “The progress FILA has made over the last few months is truly inspiring. I am very proud to be a wrestler under the FILA banner and I am especially proud that this federation had the courage to redistribute weight classes between men and women, so that women now have additional opportunities to participate in the Olympic Movement.”

The FILA Final Presentation Team includes:

President Nenad Lalovic - is the President of FILA. He was confirmed to his position at FILA’s Extraordinary Congress on 18 May, after having served as Acting President since the IOC Executive Board’s recommendation in February. He has served on the FILA Bureau since 2006.

Carol Huynh - is a Canadian wrestler who won a bronze medal in Women’s Freestyle (48 kg.) at the London 2012 Olympic Games and a gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Her 2008 gold medal was Canada’s second medal ever in women’s wrestling and it’s first ever gold in the sport. Huynh was born in British Columbia to ethnic Chinese refugees from North Vietnam. She will be inducted into the FILA Hall of Fame, on 20 September during the FILA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. 

Lise Legrand - is a Vice President of the French Wrestling Federation and represented FILA at the IOC Athletes’ Forum this summer. Legrand won a bronze medal in Women’s Freestyle (63kg) at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. She also won a bronze medal the 1996 FILA World Championships. 

Daniel Igali - is a Nigerian-Canadian wrestler who won a gold medal in Men’s Freestyle (69 kg.) at the Sydney 2000 Olympics Games. He grew up in Nigeria with 20 siblings and gained refugee status in Canada in 1994. His gold was Canada’s first ever in wrestling. He is currently a member of Nigeria’s provincial parliament and is President of the Nigerian Wrestling Federation.

Jim Scherr - represented the United States in wrestling at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games and was the first Olympian to ever lead the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), where he served from 2005 to 2009. He had previously been the Executive Director of USA Wrestling from 1990 to 2000. He is currently Chief Operating Officer of the Baku 2015 European Games.

About FILA

FILA, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, is the global governing body of the sport of wrestling. It works to promote the sport and facilitate the activities of its 177 national federations from around the world. It is based in Corsier-Sur-Vevey, Switzerland. 

To learn more about FILA’s campaign to keep wrestling in the Olympic Games visit its official website, http://www.fila-official.com/; Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/fila.official, or Twitter handle, @FILA_Official.