The sweeping reforms that have transformed wrestling in the past six months will not stop even if the sport regains its place at the 2020 Olympics, federation president Nenad Lalovic told AFP.
The 55-year-old Serbian - whose son was an international-level wrestler - has led the reforms in the sport since it was surprisingly dropped from the programme for the 2020 Summer Olympics after a vote by the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Executive Board in February.
However, thanks to the tireless efforts by Lalovic - who was elected president after his predecessor was forced to resign following the fallout from the vote - and his team they are considered favourites to see off squash and a joint softball/baseball bid to be restored to the 2020 sports roster when IOC members vote in Buenos Aires on September 8.
Lalovic, a yachting enthusiast who admits his journey to the top of the wrestling federation has been an unexpected one, told AFP yesterday from Rio de Janeiro that, win or lose, the reforms already put in place would be added to.
"We fell into the worst crisis that this sport has known in 3000 years," said the charismatic and affable Serbian.
"But in just six months we have succeeded in implementing the reforms that we were advised to do by the IOC.
"There are new rules, an independent refereeing commission and there will be six women's categories at the Rio Games in 2016.
"We dug deep and found the resources necessary to implement these reforms, which was not easy but we succeeded in doing as much as possible in six months.
"However, whether we win or lose in Buenos Aires the reforms will continue as we have an obligation to the athletes and the sport."
Lalovic, who will be in Buenos Aires from Sunday to prepare for the final presentation to the IOC members, said that chief among the reforms was to make it a more television-friendly sport.
