CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, SWITZERLAND (March 4)-- Nenad Lalovic, president of the international wrestling federation (FILA) and the man who helped guide the sport back into the Olympics last year, will visit six cities in the United States in March, including The FILA Freestyle World Cup in Los Angeles, March 15-16 and the NCAA Wrestling Championship in Oklahoma City, March 20-22.
Lalovic, a Serbian businessman and son of the Yugoslavian ambassador to a half-dozen countries, was named to run the organization after the sport was not included in the core sports of the Olympic Games Feb. 12, 2013 by the International Olympic Committee. After seven months of intensive campaigning and relationship- mending with the IOC and various changes of the sport, Wrestling was voted back in the Games September 8 at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires.
His changes to the sport included two additional weight classes for women in the Olympics, more leadership roles for women in the sport, a bigger and more meaningful role for current athletes in the governing of the federation and an overhaul of the rules of wrestling to make it more exciting and understandable.
The FILA World Cup is the top team tournament of the year, featuring the top 10 countries in the world in men’s freestyle wrestling. The event was held in Teheran, Iran, last year and the home country took the top honors with the Iranian President in the stands cheering his team. Russia was second and the U.S. finished third. All three teams will be competing again in Los Angeles.
The teams competing at the Forum in Los Angeles are Armenia, Georgia, India, Iran, Japan, Mongolia, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States.
From Los Angeles Lalovic and officials from USA Wrestling will travel to Las Vegas March 17 to see facilities and meet leaders of the 2015 World Wrestling Championships, to be held next year in September. The World Championships were last held in the U.S. in 2003 in New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
He’ll then journey to Colorado Springs to meet with leaders of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the staff of USA Wrestling, March 18.
Besides attending the NCAA Wrestling Tournament in Oklahoma City, he’ll visit the International Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Okla.
He’ll conclude his USA trip with a two-day stop in New York City for sponsor, television and media meetings, March 23-25.
Trip Summary
Los Angeles, March 14-16, FILA Men’s Freestyle World Cup
Las Vegas, March 17, 2015 World Championship Site Visit
Colorado Springs, March 18-19, U.S. Olympic Committee, UA Wrestling meetings
Oklahoma City, 19-22, Oklahoma City, NCAA Wrestling Championships
Stillwater, Okla., (TBD), International Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
New York City, March 23-25, Sponsor, TV, Media meetings
