Wrestling gets boost from Olympic birthplace in bid to restore sport at games

ATHENS, Greece – Wrestlers participating in an international tournament have been granted rare access to compete at the birthplace of the ancient Olympics in southern Greece as part of a campaign to keep the sport from being dropped after the 2016 Games.

The site at Ancient Olympia, 320 kilometres (200 miles) southwest of Athens, is normally off limits to sporting competitions and is used for the Olympic flame lighting ceremony.

The eight-country tournament will take place on Saturday and Sunday.

It will be attended by Greek officials and Nenad Lalovic, head of the sport’s governing body, who said in an interview Friday that he was “very thankful” for being granted access to Olympia.

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