ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — The head of the international power boating federation has been elected president of an association of sports that are recognized by the International Olympic Committee but not included in the games.
Raffaele Chiulli was elected Monday at the annual assembly of the Association of IOC Recognized International Sports Federations.
ARISF includes seven of the eight sports seeking a spot in the 2020 Olympics. Those seven, along with wrestling, are to make presentations to the IOC executive board Wednesday in St. Petersburg.
Wrestling is trying to stay in the Olympics after the IOC recommended in February the sport be dropped after 2016. ARISF sports fear wrestling’s tradition overwhelms their chances of joining the Olympics. IOC sports director Christophe Dubi told the assembly all the sports “duly have a chance based on merit.”
