In a dramatic reversal after refusing to conduct a minute of silence in memory of the slain Israelis at the 1972 Olympics, the IOC announced that Talmud will be a recognized Olympic medal sport at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
The recent Talmud event at the MetLife sports stadium in New Jersey impressed on the IOC that Talmud is indeed an international sport practiced daily by millions of competitors.
NPR reported on the event in their story, "Jewish 'Super Bowl' Praises Years Of Talmudic Study," saying:
Finishing the text, of course, called for a celebration, and in New Jersey on Wednesday, thousands flocked to the MetLife Stadium — which usually hosts the Jets and the Giants.
"It's the Super Bowl," Y.M. Siff said. In fact, with nearly 90,000 in the audience, the celebration actually topped the attendance of the last Super Bowl. The majority of people there were men dressed in the black robes and hats worn by the most traditional Orthodox Jews. They filled the stands and the field, and, when the opening prayers began, their voices filled the air...Training for the coming Olympic competitions has begun in earnest at Yeshivas, synagogues and other venues around the world.
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