Jayden Lawrence floored by Olympics stand-off over wrestling

WRESTLER Jayden Lawrence fears his years of training will be wasted if his sport is cut from the 2020 Olympic games.

CATHERINE Field wrestler Jayden Lawrence fears his years of training and sacrifice will be wasted if his sport is cut from the 2020 Olympic games.

Wrestling was recently cut from the 25 core Olympic sports, and will now lobby against baseball and softball, squash, wakeboarding, sport climbing, roller sports and martial arts brands of karate and wushu for the last spot.

The 18-year-old, a former Macarthur Chronicle Junior Sports Star winner, was stunned at the uncertain future of his sport at the Olympics. "When my mum told me I didn't believe it and thought she was joking," he said.

"I thought the committee would never drop one of the oldest Olympic sports," Lawrence said. "I was really mad and upset that all my dreams and training could be tossed out."

The former William Carey Christian School student said the devastation wouldn't just affect him.

"As an amateur sport, the Olympics are the goal and the decision will crush plenty of up-and-coming wrestlers I know," he said.

Lawrence said he would remain positive, and work towards a likely 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic selection.

"I'm going to focus on 2016 and I think I have a good chance of making the Australian Olympic team," he said. "I was 17 last year when I just missed out on qualifying for London. I'll be much stronger in 2016."

Lawrence said his international career would not be possible without the help of his sponsor, Hungry Jack's Australia owner Jack Cowin. "Jack was a wrestler too and he found me in a PCYC newsletter and offered to sponsor me," Lawrence said.