Iranian wrestlers participated in a New York charity event dubbed “The Rumble on Rails” at Grand Central Station, facing off against their U.S. and Russian adversaries on May 15, with Iran defeating the U.S. 6 to 1.
The wrestlers competed in Vanderbilt Hall, with curtains separating them from the commuters who were on their way home to the suburbs.
This is the fourth year that a New York City landmark is being used to host the charity event. For the last two years, the event was held in Times Square.
This year the event was especially meaningful since the International Olympic Committee has recommended that the sport of wrestling be dropped from the list of disciplines represented in the Olympics starting with the 2020 Games. The United States, Iran and Russia have come together in an effort to save the sport’s place in the Olympics.
On May 14, delegations from the three countries visited the UN headquarters to urge the IOC to keep wrestling in the Olympics.
The committee’s final decision with be announced in Buenos Aires in September.
