On the first day of IOC meetings leading up to the Salt Lake Games, the International Olympic Committee’s executive board voted against sumu wrestling and powerboating at Olympic Games. But wushu, a fighting sport similar to kung fu that hopes to be part of the 2008 Games in Beijing, was moved from provisional to fully recognized status joining sports such as ballroom dancing and bowling.
Francois Carrard, the IOC’s director general gave no reason for the decisions except to say that the board “felt it was appropriate for wushu to have full recognition”.
Reports say that wushu’s case may have been helped by the IOC’s traditional desire to add sports popular in Olympic host countries.
