TD Olympics Blog: Wrestling, the purist sport
Jay Weiner, Olympics correspondent
Aug 12, 2008
Maybe I’ve said this seven times, but this is my seventh Summer Games. I’ve seen lots of stuff - Carl Lewis win four golds, Ben Johnson get busted for drugs, the first NBA Dream Team, the Women’s Games of 96 with the U.S. winning women’s basketball, soccer and softball gold, Marion Jones in Sydney, the emergence of Michael Phelps in Athens . . . lots.
But there is always drama at wrestling. It is, by far, the most diverse of sports. Little guys, Big guys. Little gals (now). And big gals. From every continent. All weights.
Talk about level playing field: your opponent is always the same size as you. There’s no possibility of Yao Ming going up against Mugsy Bogues.
I swung by wrestling today. No Virginians, but lots of guys from Bulgaria.
A match in Greco-Roman is six minutes. At the end of just about every match, these dudes are spent. They have exhausted themselves.
The only other sport that tests an Olympians body as much is rowing.
That’s my opinion. And you don’t like it, I will hip toss you and pin you while seeking a dip for my cauliflower ear.
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