IOC's Lone Voice of Reason Shot Down
by Ted Gross for DailySquashReport.com

September 9, 2013 - Before yesterday's vote took place, IOC member Richard Pound of Canada made a plea for a postponement, pointing out the obvious contradiction in the decision process, but his argument was quickly rejected.

"It seems to me the result of the exercise to date has been to remove wrestling, which is one of the truly traditional Olympic sports in the program, but then to add it back on to a list of possible new sports," Pound said. "That seems to me to be somewhat self-contradictory.

"My sense is there's a very strong feeling that wrestling should be retained. If that is expressed by the session then we're back to where we started. There's been no new sport added to the program."

Pound suggested the IOC board should propose a new list at the next meeting in February on the eve of the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

IOC President Jacques Rogge defended the process, saying members had agreed unanimously — "I repeat unanimously" — to the system in 2007.

"We should act now," Rogge said. "I think we should respect our own decision."

The IOC members then approved the list of 25 core sports to allow the vote to go ahead.

Pound is a Montreal attorney, former chancellor of McGill University and former vice-president of the IOC.