The Serbian has led the body since becoming Acting President in February last year after Raphaël Martinetti stood down following the decision by the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) ruling Executive Board to recommend that wrestling should be dropped from the programme after Rio 2016.

He ran unopposed for the post and was elected at the United World Wrestling Congress in Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent, where the World Wrestling Championships get underway tomorrow.

Lalovic has already guided the sport through one of the most difficult times in its history, which culminated in the retention of its place on the Olympic programme after polling 49 votes to baseball-softball's 24 and squash's 22 at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires last September.

"Two years ago in Moscow we were fighting for our lives," he said.

"Our world was on the verge of collapse.

"For the first time in 2,700 years we were not part of the Olympic Games.

"That was the time we began to change.

"We had to.

"As wrestlers have for thousands of years, we fought.

"We fought majestically to save our rightful spot in the Olympic Games.

"And we did that exactly one year ago tomorrow in Buenos Aires.

"September 8.

"The IOC welcomed us back in a resounding first round victory for our sport.

"We fought for the future of all those youngsters out there who were dreaming of Olympic gold."

Wrestling's world governing body also voted to bring in a new name and brand during the Congress in Tashkent ©United World Wrestling/Facebook


The Congress also saw the introduction of a new name for world wrestling's governing body, which is now known as United World Wrestling, and a brand overhaul.

Lalovic warned that more hard work is needed for ensure the security of the sport's future in the Games and laid out plans to work "very closely" with the World Anti-Doping Agency, SportAccord and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations.

"The Olympic world is changing," he said.

"Under [IOC President] Thomas Bach and his vision of Agenda 2020 the Olympic Movement could undergo more revisions, more changes.

"We need to part of that change.

"We are not guaranteed anything."

Meanwhile, incumbent members of the World Wrestling Bureau Mikhail Mamiashvili of Russia, Uzbekistan's Akhroldjan Ruziev and Bulgarian Tesno Tsenov were re-elected for six-year terms in the first-round of voting.

The next round saw the election of four new full-time members, Brazil's Pedro Gama Filho, Fouad Meskout of Morocco, Japan's Hideaki Tomiyama and German Karl-Martin Dittman, who will serve the final two years of the late Matteo Pellicone term.

Pellicone's widow, Marina, was also elected to a six-year term.

The World Wrestling Championships will continue until September 14.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
June 2014: Lalovic to stand unopposed for re-election as FILA President