When was freestyle wrestling introduced as an Olympic sport?
History of wrestling
When the First Modern Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896, Greco-Roman wrestling was introduced as an Olympic discipline. After not being featured in the 1900 Olympics, sports wrestling was seen again in 1904 in St. Louis; this time in freestyle competition. Since then, Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling have both been featured (with women's freestyle added in the Summer Olympics of 2004).
Wrestling at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 52 kg
The Men's Freestyle 52 kg at the 1992 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Institut Nacional d'Educació Física de Catalunya from August 3 to August 5.
Wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle lightweight
This freestyle wrestling competition did not use the single-elimination bracket format previously used for Olympic freestyle wrestling but instead followed the format that was introduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics for Greco-Roman wrestling, using an elimination system based on the accumulation of points. Each round featured all wrestlers pairing off and wrestling one bout (with one wrestler having a bye if there were an odd number). The loser received 3 points. The winner received 1 point if the win was by decision and 0 points if the win was by fall. At the end of each round, any wrestler with at least 5 points was eliminated.
Freestyle wrestling
Since 1921, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA), which has its headquarters near Lausanne, Switzerland, has set the "Rules of the Game", with regulations for scoring and procedures that govern tournaments such as the World Games and the competition at the Summer Olympics. These were later adopted by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for its freestyle matches. Freestyle wrestling gained great popularity in the United States after the Civil War. By the 1880s, tournaments drew hundreds of wrestlers. The rise of cities, increased industrialization, and the closing of the frontier provided the affable environment for amateur wrestling, along with boxing, to increase in esteem and popularity. Amateur wrestling teams soon emerged, such as the wrestling team of the New York Athletic Club, which had its first tournament in 1878. Professional wrestling also developed, and by the 1870s, professional championship matches offered allowances of up to $1,000.
Freestyle skiing at the Winter Olympics
Freestyle skiing was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Winter Olympics, with moguls, aerials, and ballet events. Moguls became an official medal sport at the 1992 games, while aerials and ballet were still demonstration events. At the 1994 games, aerials also became an official medal event and the ski ballet competition was dropped. For the 2010 Winter Olympics, ski cross was added to the program while for the 2014 Winter Olympics half-pipe and slopestyle were added.
United States results in men's freestyle wrestling
Men's freestyle wrestling competition began in the Olympics in 1904. FILA began holding World Championships in men's freestyle in 1951.
Wrestling at the 1924 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle lightweight
The men's freestyle lightweight was a freestyle wrestling event held as part of the Wrestling at the 1924 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fourth appearance of the event. Lightweight was the third-lightest category, including wrestlers weighing from 61 to 66 kilograms.
Wrestling at the 1904 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle welterweight
The welterweight was the second-heaviest freestyle wrestling weight class held as part of the Wrestling at the 1904 Summer Olympics programme. It was the first time the event, like all other freestyle wrestling events, was held in Olympic competition. Ten wreslets competed.
Wrestling at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle light heavyweight
The men's freestyle light heavyweight was a Catch as Catch Can wrestling, later freestyle, held as part of the Wrestling at the 1920 Summer Olympics programme. It was the first appearance of the weight class. Light heavyweight was the second-heaviest category, and included wrestlers weighing up to 80 kilograms.
Wrestling at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 87 kg
The Men's Freestyle middleweight at the 1968 Summer Olympics was part of the wrestling program were held at the Insurgentes Ice Rink from October 17 to October 20. The middleweight allowed wrestlers up to 87 kilograms.
Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's freestyle 72 kg
The women's freestyle 72 kg at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall, August 22 to August 23.
Kevin Jackson
As a wrestler, he was an Olympic gold medalist freestyle wrestler, and a former mixed martial arts fighter. He won a gold medal in Freestyle wrestling at the 1992 Summer Olympics. After retiring from competition, in 2001, Jackson became the U.S. national freestyle coach, based at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs.
Wrestling at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle bantamweight
The freestyle bantamweight was one of five freestyle wrestling weight classes contested on the Wrestling at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. Like all other wrestling events, it was open only to men. The bantamweight was the lightest class, allowing wrestlers of up to 54 kilograms (119 lb).
Wrestling at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Wrestling at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo features two disciplines, freestyle and Greco-Roman, which were further divided into different weight categories. Men competed in both disciplines whereas women only participated in the freestyle events, with 18 gold medals awarded. Wrestling had been contested at every modern Summer Olympic Games, except Paris 1900.
Wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle heavyweight
The men's freestyle heavyweight competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles took place from 1 August to 3 August at the Grand Olympic Auditorium. Nations were limited to one competitor. This weight class was not limited by maximum weight and was open to wrestlers above 87kg.
Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 57 kg
The Men's Freestyle 57 kg at the 1996 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Georgia World Congress Center from July 29 to July 30.
Wrestling at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle heavyweight
A total of eight wrestlers from five nations competed in the event, which was held from Wednesday, August 25 to Friday, August 27, 1920.
Wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle light heavyweight
The men's freestyle light heavyweight competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles took place from 1 August to 3 August at the Grand Olympic Auditorium. Nations were limited to one competitor. This weight class was limited to wrestlers weighing up to 87kg.
History of wrestling
Since 1921, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) has regulated amateur wrestling as an athletic discipline.
In 1927, Dr. Raymond G. Clapp published the rules for collegiate wrestling, and the next year, the first NCAA Wrestling Team Championship took place on March 30 to March 31 on the campus of Iowa State College. The rules of collegiate wrestling marked a sharp contrast to the freestyle wrestling rules of the International Amateur Wrestling Federation (IAWF) and the AAU. From then on, collegiate wrestling emerged as a distinctly American sport. College and high school wrestling grew especially after the standardization of the NCAA wrestling rules, which applied early on to both collegiate and scholastic wrestling (with high school modifications). More colleges, universities, and junior colleges began offering dual meets and tournaments, including championships and having organized wrestling seasons. There were breaks in wrestling seasons because of World War II, but in the high schools especially, state association wrestling championships sprung up in different regions throughout the 1930s and 1940s. As amateur wrestling grew after World War II, various collegiate athletic conferences also increased the number and quality of their wrestling competition, with more wrestlers making the progression of wrestling in high school, being recruited by college coaches, and then entering the collegiate competition.
Both freestyle wrestling and its American counterpart, collegiate wrestling, did not have a scoring system that decided matches in the absence of a fall until the introduction of a point system by Oklahoma State University wrestling coach Art Griffith that gained acceptance in 1941, and influenced the international styles as well. By the 1960s international wrestling matches in Greco-Roman and freestyle were scored by a panel of three judges in secret, who made the final decision by raising colored paddles at the match's end. Dr. Albert de Ferrari from San Francisco who became vice president of FILA, lobbied for a visible scoring system and a rule for "controlled fall", which would recognize a fall only when the offensive wrestler had done something to cause it. These were soon adopted internationally in Greco-Roman and freestyle.
Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 52 kg
The Men's Freestyle 52 kg at the 1996 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Georgia World Congress Center from July 31 to August 1.
Wrestling at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 68 kg
The Men's Freestyle 68 kg at the 1972 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program at the Fairgrounds, Judo and Wrestling Hall. Israeli weightlifter Eliezer Halfin was later killed in the Munich massacre.
Wrestling at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 48 kg
The Men's Freestyle 48 kg at the 1972 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program at the Fairgrounds, Judo and Wrestling Hall.
Wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle middleweight
The men's freestyle middleweight competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles took place from 1 August to 3 August at the Grand Olympic Auditorium. Nations were limited to one competitor. This weight class was limited to wrestlers weighing up to 79kg.
Wrestling
On continental Europe, prize money was offered in large sums to the winners of Greco-Roman tournaments, and freestyle wrestling spread rapidly in the United Kingdom and in the United States after the American Civil War. Wrestling professionals soon increased the popularity of Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, worldwide.Since 1921, United World Wrestling (UWW) has regulated amateur wrestling as an athletic discipline, while professional wrestling has largely become infused with theatrics but still requires athletic ability. Today, various countries send national wrestling teams to the Olympics, including Russia, Iran, Turkey, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Gambia, the United States and several ex-U.S.S.R. nations.
Wrestling at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle +100 kg
The Men's Freestyle +100 kg at the 1972 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program at the Fairgrounds, Judo and Wrestling Hall.
Henry Wittenberg
Henry Wittenberg (September 18, 1918 – March 9, 2010) was an American wrestler and Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling. He won two Olympic medals and was the first American wrestler after 1908 to achieve this feat. He at one point in his career wrestled 300 matches without losing. He taught wrestling at Yeshiva University and City College of New York for thirteen years. In 1977, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games programme consists of 35 sports, 30 disciplines and 408 events. For example, wrestling is a Summer Olympic sport, comprising two disciplines: Greco-Roman and Freestyle. It is further broken down into fourteen events for men and four events for women, each representing a different weight class. The Summer Olympics programme includes 26 sports, while the Winter Olympics programme features 15 sports. Athletics, swimming, fencing, and artistic gymnastics are the only summer sports that have never been absent from the Olympic programme. Cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating have been featured at every Winter Olympics programme since its inception in 1924. Current Olympic sports, like badminton, basketball, and volleyball, first appeared on the programme as demonstration sports, and were later promoted to full Olympic sports. Some sports that were featured in earlier Games were later dropped from the programme.
Wrestling at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 130 kg
The Men's Freestyle 130 kg at the 1992 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Institut Nacional d'Educació Física de Catalunya from August 4 to August 6.
Wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 97 kg
The men's freestyle 97 kg at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program was held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 28 to 30.
Wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 76 kg
The men's freestyle 76 kg at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program was held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 28 to 30.
Wrestling at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 57 kg
The Men's Freestyle 57 kg at the 1992 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Institut Nacional d'Educació Física de Catalunya from August 5 to August 7.
Wrestling at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 52 kg
The Men's Freestyle flyweight at the 1968 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Insurgentes Ice Rink. The flyweight was the lightest weight class, allowing wrestlers up to 52 kilograms.
Russia at the 2016 Summer Olympics
The men's freestyle wrestling team was named to the Olympic roster on 6 July 2016, with the women joining them on July 19. The men's Greco-Roman wrestlers rounded out the squad on 22 July 2016.
List of Olympic medalists in taekwondo
Taekwondo is an Olympic sport that is contested at the Summer Olympic Games. It was introduced in the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games as a demonstration sport, and made its debut as a full medal sport at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Both men and women compete in four events each defined by separate weight classes: flyweight, featherweight, middleweight and heavyweight. Traditionally, taekwondo competitions consist of eight weight classes for each gender, but Olympic taekwondo only have four due to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) limiting the total number of taekwondo entrants to 128.
Wrestling at the Summer Olympics
In an effort to control the size and costs of the Summer Olympics, and make the Games "relevant to sports fans of all generations", the IOC evaluated the Olympic event programme in place for the 2016 Summer Olympics, and voted on 25 "core" sports that would comprise the programme of the 2020 Summer Olympics. One vacancy was to be left open for a new sport. In February 2013, IOC members voted to remove wrestling from the Olympic programme; "The New York Times" cited several potential factors in the decision, including the lack of universally-known talent unlike other sports, and concern for the lack of women's competitions in wrestling (having only introduced women's freestyle competitions in 2004). FILA (now United World Wrestling), the governing body of Olympic wrestling, immediately criticized the decision. The organization cited wrestling's long-standing history as an Olympic event, which dates as far back as the ancient Olympic Games.
Väinö Penttala
He won a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. In 1923 the first freestyle wrestling tournaments took place in Finland. Penttala won the title four times (until 1927).,
Wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics – Men's Greco-Roman welterweight
The men's Greco-Roman welterweight competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles took place from 4 August to 7 August at the Grand Olympic Auditorium. Nations were limited to one competitor. It was the first appearance of the event; at the previous two Olympics, the welterweight class had been exclusive to freestyle wrestling. This weight class was limited to wrestlers weighing up to 72 kg.
Per Berlin
Per Gunnar Börje Berlin (1 August 1921 – 22 December 2011) was a Swedish wrestler who competed in the 73 kg freestyle and Greco-Roman categories. He won a freestyle silver medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics and a Greco-Roman bronze in 1956. He received another bronze medal at the 1949 European Championships, and three times finished fourth in freestyle wrestling: at the 1951 and 1954 world championships and at the 1956 Olympics.
Wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 69 kg
The men's freestyle 69 kg at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program was held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 29 to October 1.
Wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle featherweight
The men's freestyle featherweight competition at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles took place from 1 August to 3 August at the Grand Olympic Auditorium. Nations were limited to one competitor. This weight class was limited to wrestlers weighing up to 61kg.
Freestyle wrestling
In the spring of 2013, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted wrestling out of the core sports for the summer Olympics beginning in 2020 As a result of this news the wrestling community started a massive campaign in order to reinstate the sport. A largely online group called 2020 vision lead the movement. They had several campaigns as well as Facebook and Twitter pages that spread awareness and gathered support for the cause of wrestling's return to the Olympics. They had a mission of gaining 2,000,020 signatures (online and offline) in support of wrestling's return to the Olympic Games. In September 2013 the IOC voted to allow wrestling back into the Olympics for 2020 and 2024 as a probationary sport. In order to achieve this FILA, the international governing body of wrestling made several changes to the rules as well as changes to the weight classes. There are also discussions about uniform changes as well as changes to the competition mat.
Mongolia
Freestyle wrestling has been practised since 1958 in Mongolia. Mongolian freestyle wrestlers have won the first and the most Olympic medals of Mongolia.
Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 96 kg
The men's freestyle 96 kg at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall, August 28 to August 29.
Wrestling at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle middleweight
The freestyle middleweight was one of five freestyle wrestling weight classes contested on the Wrestling at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. Like all other wrestling events, it was open only to men. The middleweight was the second-heaviest weight class, allowing wrestlers of up to 73 kilograms (161 lb).
Wrestling at the 1920 Summer Olympics
At the 1920 Summer Olympics, ten wrestling events were contested, for all men. There were five weight classes in Greco-Roman wrestling and five classes in Catch as Catch Can, predecessor to freestyle wrestling. The competitions were held from Monday, August 16 to Friday, August 20, 1920 (Greco-Roman) and from Wednesday, August 25 to Friday, August 27, 1920 (freestyle).
Martial arts
Fencing and Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the 1896 Summer Olympics.
FILA Wrestling World Championships and Boxing at the Summer Olympics were introduced in 1904.
The tradition of awarding championship belts in wrestling and boxing can be traced to the Lonsdale Belt, introduced in 1909.
Freestyle skiing at the Winter Olympics
Freestyle skiing has been contested at the Winter Olympic Games since the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France.
Bob Anderson (wrestler)
In 1968, Anderson began his Freestyle wrestling career when he won
the western regional Olympic trial in Greco-Roman. In 1971 he went on to place 2nd
at the Greco-Roman world championships. Anderson last competed in
the 1979 Pan American games, once again he placing 2nd. Although Anderson
never never became a world champion at the senior level, he said that he had no regrets, and his accomplishments were well worth it.
World Wrestling Championships
The Men's Greco-Roman Wrestling tournament began in 1904, and the Men's Freestyle Wrestling tournament began in 1951. The Women's Freestyle championships were first staged in 1987.
Wrestling at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Around 344 wrestlers competed in 18 events at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In September 2013, a new change to the rules and guidelines of the sport had been instituted and overhauled by the International Olympic Committee and FILA (now known as the United World Wrestling). A single Olympic weight class was removed each from the men's freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling to add two more weights for the women. Other changes in wrestling at these Games also featured a single-round tournament within a six-minute limit, instead of two-round or tiebreaker.
125th IOC Session
Wrestling is practiced all around the world - officially in 177 countries, some of which participate in the Olympic program just in this sport. It was initially dropped from the program for the 2020 games; however, the sport will have the opportunity to retain its spot in the Olympics. Wrestling will still be part of the program at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Wrestling was first introduced in the ancient Olympic Games in 708 BC and was a sport practiced in all the ancient Olympics from then till their abolition in 323 AD. It has been played at the Summer Olympics since the 1896 Olympics in Athens, and it has been a part of all modern Olympics except the 1900 Olympics in Paris.
Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's freestyle 63 kg
The women's freestyle 63 kg at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall, August 22 to August 23.
Olympic results index
[[Freestyle skiing at the 1924 Winter Olympics|1924]] [[Freestyle skiing at the 1928 Winter Olympics|1928]]
[[Freestyle skiing at the 1932 Winter Olympics|1932]] [[Freestyle skiing at the 1936 Winter Olympics|1936]]
[[Freestyle skiing at the 1948 Winter Olympics|1948]] [[Freestyle skiing at the 1952 Winter Olympics|1952]]
[[Freestyle skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics|1956]] [[Freestyle skiing at the 1960 Winter Olympics|1960]]
[[Freestyle skiing at the 1964 Winter Olympics|1964]] [[Freestyle skiing at the 1968 Winter Olympics|1968]]
[[Freestyle skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics|1972]] [[Freestyle skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics|1976]]
[[Freestyle skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics|1980]] [[Freestyle skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics|1984]]
[[Freestyle skiing at the 1988 Winter Olympics|1988]] [[Freestyle skiing at the 1992 Winter Olympics|1992]]
[[Freestyle skiing at the 1994 Winter Olympics|1994]] [[Freestyle skiing at the 1998 Winter Olympics|1998]]
[[Freestyle skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics|2002]] [[Freestyle skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics|2006]]
[[Freestyle skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics|2010]] [[Freestyle skiing at the 2014 Winter Olympics|2014]]
[[Freestyle skiing at the 2018 Winter Olympics|2018]] [[Freestyle skiing at the 2022 Winter Olympics|2022]]
Arayik Gevorgyan
Gevorgyan was born on 22 January 1973 in a village of the Artashat region of Soviet Armenia. He started wrestling in 1984 under the guidance of Razmik Goletsyan. From 1989 to 1991, he was a member of the USSR junior freestyle wrestling team. Gevorgyan became a Junior European Champion in 1991. In 1992, Gevorgyan joined the Armenia espoir freestyle wrestling team. Gevorgyan became a Espoir European Champion in 1992 and a Espoir World Champion in 1993. After that year, Gevorgyan joined the Armenian national freestyle wrestling team. He became a three-time consecutive World Wrestling Champion, having won a gold medal at the 1995 World Wrestling Championships, 1997 World Wrestling Championships and 1998 World Wrestling Championships. Gevorgyan is the first ever wrestler from the independent Republic of Armenia to become a World Wrestling Champion in freestyle wrestling. He is also the first European Championship medalist in either Greco-Roman or freestyle wrestling and only the third European Championship gold medalist in freestyle wrestling from the independent Republic of Armenia. Gevorgyan is a three-time Olympian, competing at the 1996 Summer Olympics, 2000 Summer Olympics, and 2004 Summer Olympics. He was one of the favorites in 1996 and 200 but wasn't able to win an Olympic medal. Gevorgyan was voted the Armenian Athlete of the Year for 1997 and 1998. He completed his international wrestling career after the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
Wushu (sport)
Wushu is not a Summer Olympic sport; the IWUF has repeatedly backed proposals for Wushu to be added to the Olympic programme, most recently as one of eight sports proposed for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. However, it failed to reach the final shortlist, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ultimately voted for the re-inclusion of wrestling instead. Wushu was formally introduced into the Olympics as an exhibition sport in Berlin, in 1936, under Chancellor Hitler's request. In March 2015, IWUF executive vice president Anthony Goh stated that the Federation was planning to propose Wushu again for the 2024 Summer Olympics. As part of new IOC rules allowing host committees to accept proposals for new sports to be added to the programme (allowing the addition of sports of local interest to the Olympic programme under an "event-based" model), in June 2015, Wushu was shortlisted again as part of eight sports proposed for inclusion in the 2020 Games in this manner. However, it did not make the final shortlist of five.
History of wrestling
By the end of the 19th century, this modern "Greco-Roman" wrestling style went on to become the most popular event in fashionable sport in Europe. Because of that and the rise of gymnasiums and athletic clubs, Greco-Roman wrestling and modern freestyle wrestling were soon regulated in formal competitions. On continental Europe, prize money was offered in large sums to the winners of Greco-Roman tournaments, and freestyle wrestling spread rapidly in the United Kingdom and in the United States.
A "Golden Age" for the sport followed, cut short with the breakout of World War I in 1914.
In 1898 the Frenchman Paul Pons, “the Colossus” became the first Professional World Champion.
Leading wrestlers during this time, such as Georg Hackenschmidt, Stanislaus Zbyszko, William Muldoon, Frank Gotch, Constant Lavaux, had the status of popular heroes.
Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 55 kg
The men's freestyle 55 kg at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall, August 27 to August 28.
Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 48 kg
The Men's Freestyle 48 kg at the 1996 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Georgia World Congress Center from July 29 to July 30.
Wrestling
Freestyle wrestling is an international discipline and an Olympic sport, for both men and women. This style allows the use of the wrestler's or his opponent's legs in offense and defense. Freestyle wrestling has its origins in catch-as-catch-can wrestling and the prime victory condition in this style involves the wrestler winning by throwing and pinning his opponent on the mat. American high school and college wrestling is conducted under different rules and is termed scholastic and collegiate wrestling. 
Pankration, from the Greek words "pan" and "kratos" meaning "the one who controls everything", is a world heritage martial art with the distinction of being the only martial sport in the ancient Olympic Games from 648 BC to 393 AD. Modern amateur pankration is a form of mixed martial arts (MMA) that incorporates techniques from multiple systems. Matches are fought with both grappling holds and by striking techniques.
Wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle welterweight
This freestyle wrestling competition did not use the single-elimination bracket format previously used for Olympic freestyle wrestling but instead followed the format that was introduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics for Greco-Roman wrestling, using an elimination system based on the accumulation of points. Each round featured all wrestlers pairing off and wrestling one bout (with one wrestler having a bye if there were an odd number). The loser received 3 points. The winner received 1 point if the win was by decision and 0 points if the win was by fall. At the end of each round, any wrestler with at least 5 points was eliminated.
Wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 58 kg
The men's freestyle 58 kg at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program was held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 29 to October 1.
Wrestling at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Wrestling at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro took place from 14 to 21 August at the Carioca Arena 2 in Barra da Tijuca. Wrestling had been split into two disciplines, freestyle and Greco-Roman, which were further divided into different weight categories. Men competed in both disciplines whereas women only participated in the freestyle events, with 18 gold medals awarded. Wrestling had been contested at every modern Summer Olympic Games, except Paris 1900.
Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place in the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall and was split into two disciplines, Freestyle and Greco-Roman which are further divided into different weight categories. Men competed in both disciplines whereas women only took part in the Freestyle event with 18 gold medals being contested in all. This was the first Olympic Games that included women's wrestling events on the program.
Wrestling at the 1904 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle heavyweight
The heavyweight was the heaviest freestyle wrestling weight class held as part of the Wrestling at the 1904 Summer Olympics programme. It was the first time the event, like all other freestyle wrestling events, was held in Olympic competition. It was held on Friday, October 14, 1904 and on Saturday, October 15, 1904.
Wrestling at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle middleweight
This freestyle wrestling competition continued to use the "bad points" elimination system introduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics for Greco-Roman and at the 1932 Summer Olympics for freestyle wrestling, with a slight modification. Each round featured all wrestlers pairing off and wrestling one bout (with one wrestler having a bye if there were an odd number). The loser received 3 points if the loss was by fall or unanimous decision and 2 points if the decision was 2-1 (this was the modification from prior years, where all losses were 3 points). The winner received 1 point if the win was by decision and 0 points if the win was by fall. At the end of each round, any wrestler with at least 5 points was eliminated.
Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 120 kg
The men's freestyle 120 kg at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall, August 27 to August 28.
Wrestling at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 82 kg
The Men's Freestyle 82 kg at the 1992 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Institut Nacional d'Educació Física de Catalunya from August 5 to August 7.
History of collegiate wrestling
The 1960s and 1970s saw major developments in collegiate wrestling, with the emergence of the United States Wrestling Federation (USWF) (later called the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) and now known as USA Wrestling (USAW)). The USWF, with its membership of coaches, educators, and officials, became recognized eventually as the official governing body of American wrestling and as the official representative to the United States Olympic Committee, in place of the Amateur Athletic Union. Soon, the Division II wrestling team championship was established in 1963. Western State (Colorado) won the first team championship in that division. The Division III wrestling team championship was established in 1974 with Wilkes University winning the first team championship. Collegiate wrestlers in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s as usual made strides in the international styles, but were more well known for their scholastic and collegiate wrestling achievements. These wrestlers include Dan Gable, who won the Olympic gold medal in 1972 and was the Olympic freestyle coach in 1984, but was more famous for his 15 team championships as coach at the University of Iowa. John Smith also won gold medals at the Goodwill Games against a Soviet in Moscow and at the Olympic Games in 1988 and 1992. He is best known however for his two NCAA championships and his 90 straight victories for Oklahoma State University, where he later became a championship-winning coach. Ed and Lou Banach together won five individual NCAA championships for Iowa and were able to win gold medals at the 1984 Olympics. Wade Schalles of Clarion University earned a record of 821 victories, with 530 falls, which earned him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as amateur wrestling's "all-time winning and pinning leader." Other high-achieving collegiate wrestlers who have had national, international, and Olympic wrestling championship careers include Robin Reed, Kenny Monday, Cael Sanderson, Temoer Terry, Bruce Baumgartner, and Kurt Angle (who would also become a major star in professional wrestling).
Soviet and Russian results in men's freestyle wrestling
Tsarist Russia did not send freestyle wrestlers to the Olympics. The Soviet Union began competing in freestyle wrestling at the 1952 Summer Olympics. The Soviet Union boycotted the Olympics in 1984. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, most former Soviet republics competed as a single Unified Team in 1992, and competed separately thereafter.
Greek wrestling
Wrestling was the first competition to be added to the Olympic Games that was not a footrace. It was added in 708 B.C. (Miller, 46). The competitions were held in elimination-tournament style until one wrestler was crowned the victor. The wrestling area was one square plethron or stremma. This event was also part of the pentathlon. Wrestling was regarded as the best expression of strength out of all of the competitions and was represented in Greek mythology by Heracles.
List of Olympic medalists in freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing is one of the six skiing disciplines contested at the Winter Olympic Games, and one of the youngest. In 1924, the first Winter Olympics featured Nordic skiing disciplines (cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and Nordic combined), while alpine skiing was first contested in 1936. Only at the 1992 Winter Olympics, in Albertville, France, were freestyle skiing events first held as official medal events. Before that, freestyle skiing was contested at the 1988 Winter Olympics as a demonstration sport, consisting of events for both men and women in three variants: moguls, aerials and ski ballet. In Albertville, moguls was the first-ever official freestyle skiing medal event; aerials and ski ballet were also held but still as demonstration events. The growing popularity of aerials convinced the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to add this freestyle discipline to the 1994 Winter Olympics official program. Moguls and aerials have thus been contested at every Winter Games since. Ski cross inclusion in the Winter Olympics program was approved at an IOC Executive Board meeting in November 2006, and the first events were held at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Wrestling at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Greco-Roman reappeared for the first time since the 1896 Summer Olympics, with weight classes for the first time. The number of classes in freestyle was reduced from 7 to 5, with the light fly, fly, and welterweight classes dropped but the middleweight added. The addition of the 4 Greco-Roman classes brought the total number of events in wrestling up to 9.
Wrestling at the 1948 Summer Olympics
At the 1948 Summer Olympics, 16 wrestling events were contested, for all men. There were eight weight classes in Greco-Roman wrestling and eight classes in freestyle wrestling. The freestyle competitions were held from July 29 to July 31, 1948 and the Greco-Roman events were held from August 3 to August 6, 1948.
Wrestling at the 1904 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle flyweight
The flyweight was the second lightest freestyle wrestling weight class held as part of the Wrestling at the 1904 Summer Olympics programme. It was the first time the event, like all other freestyle wrestling events, was held in Olympic competition. 3 wrestlers competed.
Wrestling at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle welterweight
This freestyle wrestling competition continued to use the "bad points" elimination system introduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics for Greco-Roman and at the 1932 Summer Olympics for freestyle wrestling, with a slight modification. Each round featured all wrestlers pairing off and wrestling one bout (with one wrestler having a bye if there were an odd number). The loser received 3 points if the loss was by fall or unanimous decision and 2 points if the decision was 2-1 (this was the modification from prior years, where all losses were 3 points). The winner received 1 point if the win was by decision and 0 points if the win was by fall. At the end of each round, any wrestler with at least 5 points was eliminated.
Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman (US) or Graeco-Roman (UK) wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908.This style of wrestling forbids holds below the waist; this is the major difference from freestyle wrestling, the other form of wrestling at the Olympics. This restriction results in an emphasis on throws because a wrestler cannot use trips to take an opponent to the ground, or avoid throws by hooking or grabbing the opponent's leg.
Wrestling at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle featherweight
The men's freestyle featherweight was a Catch as Catch Can wrestling, later freestyle, event held as part of the wrestling at the 1920 Summer Olympics programme. It was the third appearance of the event. Featherweight was the lightest category, and included wrestlers weighing up to 54 kilograms.
Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 130 kg
The Men's Freestyle 130 kg at the 1996 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Georgia World Congress Center from July 31 to August 1.
Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 84 kg
The men's freestyle 84 kg at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall, August 27 to August 28.
Wrestling at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle middleweight
The men's freestyle middleweight was a freestyle wrestling event held as part of the Wrestling at the 1928 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fourth appearance of the event. Middleweight was the third-heaviest category, including wrestlers weighing up to 79 kilograms.
Donald Stockton
Stockton began his Olympic career at the 1924 Summer Olympics in the freestyle welterweight division. At the 1928 Summer Olympics, he became the first Canadian to be awarded an Olympic silver medal in wrestling. Stockton final Olympic games were at the 1932 Summer Olympics. After his Olympic career, Stockton became a professional wrestler in 1933 and wrestled at the Mount Royal Arena.
Wrestling at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle middleweight
The men's freestyle middleweight was a Catch as Catch Can wrestling, later freestyle, event held as part of the wrestling at the 1920 Summer Olympics programme. It was the second appearance of the event. Middleweight was the median category, and included wrestlers weighing up to 69 kilograms.
Wrestling at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle heavyweight
The men's freestyle heavyweight was a freestyle wrestling event held as part of the Wrestling at the 1928 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fifth appearance of the event. Heavyweight was the heaviest category, including wrestlers weighing over 87 kilograms.
Wayne Wells
Wayne Alton Wells (born September 29, 1946 in Abilene, Texas) is an American wrestler and Olympic champion in Freestyle wrestling.
Yusup Abdusalomov
Having won the freestyle wrestling title in his weight category at the 2003 Asian championship, Abdusalomov made his Olympic debut at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens where he finished 9th overall in the men's freestyle 74kg category. He followed this the following year with a relatively disappointing 13th place in the 2005 FILA Wrestling World Championships in Budapest. Abdusalamov was to improve on this at the 2007 World Championships in Baku where he claimed second place, having moved up to the 84 kg weight category. At the next Olympics in 2008 Beijing, he repeated his good form from the world championships to claim the silver medal in the 84kg category. In the 2012 Summer Olympics, however, he was unable to achieve a medal after having lost to Gadzhimurad Nurmagomedov of Armenia.
Wrestling at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 70 kg
The Men's Freestyle lightweight at the 1968 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Insurgentes Ice Rink from October 17 to October 20. The lightweight allowed wrestlers up to 70 kilograms.
Wrestling at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg
The Men's Freestyle 100 kg at the 1992 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Institut Nacional d'Educació Física de Catalunya from August 3 to August 5.
Javelin throw at the Olympics
Following the freestyle javelin contest at the 1906 Intercalated Games, the event was continued at the 1908 London Olympics in spite of the addition of the standard style javelin as well. Eric Lemming won his second freestyle title, and his first officially recognised Olympics gold, and also won the standard style event as well. The freestyle event was dropped after 1908.
Wrestling at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle heavyweight
The men's freestyle heavyweight was a Catch as Catch Can wrestling, later freestyle, event held as part of the wrestling at the 1920 Summer Olympics programme. It was the third appearance of the weight class. Heavyweight was the heaviest category, and included wrestlers weighing over 80 kilograms.
Wrestling at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle light heavyweight
The men's freestyle light heavyweight was a freestyle wrestling event held as part of the Wrestling at the 1928 Summer Olympics programme. It was the third appearance of the event. Light heavyweight was the second-heaviest category, including wrestlers weighing up to 87 kilograms.
Wrestling at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Wrestling at the 1980 Summer Olympics was represented by twenty events (all — men's individual). They were split into two disciplines (ten events each): Freestyle and Greco-Roman. All events were held in the "Wrestling hall" of the "Sports Complex of the Central Sports Club of the Army" (north-western part of Moscow) between July 20 and July 31.
Wrestling at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 97 kg
The Men's Freestyle light heavyweight at the 1968 Summer Olympics was part of the wrestling program were held at the Insurgentes Ice Rink from October 17 to October 20. The light heavyweight allowed wrestlers up to 97 kilograms.
Sport in Greece
The forms of wrestling we know today as Greco-Roman and freestyle found their origins in the lands on the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. These lands are where the Ancient Greeks resided, and developed the art of wrestling.
Wrestling to the Greeks was not only part of a soldier's training regimen, but also a part of everyday life. Even in modern days, Wrestling has been one of the most significant Olympic sports in Greece, which has produced many Olympic and world champions and has given moments of glory to the country. 
Greece has won 11 medals at the modern Olympics and multiple medals in the World and European championships, a fact that makes the sport as one of the most successful for the country on a global stage.
Some of the most significant Greek wrestlers are:Greek American
Wrestling at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle featherweight
This freestyle wrestling competition continued to use the "bad points" elimination system introduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics for Greco-Roman and at the 1932 Summer Olympics for freestyle wrestling, with a slight modification. Each round featured all wrestlers pairing off and wrestling one bout (with one wrestler having a bye if there were an odd number). The loser received 3 points if the loss was by fall or unanimous decision and 2 points if the decision was 2-1 (this was the modification from prior years, where all losses were 3 points). The winner received 1 point if the win was by decision and 0 points if the win was by fall. At the end of each round, any wrestler with at least 5 points was eliminated.
Greco-Roman wrestling
In Olympic competition, countries of the former Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Turkey, South Korea, Romania, Japan, Sweden, and Finland have had great success. Carl Westergren of Sweden won three Greco-Roman gold medals in 1920, 1924, and 1932, and was the first Greco-Roman wrestler to do so. Alexander Karelin did the same in 1988, 1992, and 1996. Ivar Johansson of Sweden won gold medals in Greco-Roman in 1932 and 1936 and also a gold medal in freestyle in 1932. The United States Olympic delegation (exclusively wrestling freestyle before) first entered Greco-Roman wrestling in 1952 and has taken three gold medals, won by Steve Fraser and Jeffrey Blatnick in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, and by Rulon Gardner at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
History of wrestling
Greek wrestling was a popular form of martial art in which points were awarded for touching a competitor's back to the ground, forcing a competitor out of bounds (arena). Three falls determined the winner. It was at least featured as a sport since the eighteenth Olympiad in 704 BC. Wrestling is described in the earliest celebrated works of Greek literature, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Wrestlers were also depicted in action on many vases, sculptures, and coins, as well as in other literature. Other cultures featured wrestling at royal or religious celebrations, but the ancient Greeks structured their style of wrestling as part of a tournament where a single winner emerged from a pool of competitors. Late Greek tradition also stated that Plato was known for wrestling in the Isthmian games.
Wrestling at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 55 kg
Men's freestyle 55 kg competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, took place on 10 August at ExCeL London.
This freestyle wrestling competition consisted of a single-elimination tournament, with a repechage used to determine the winners of two bronze medals. The two finalists faced off for gold and silver medals. Each wrestler who lost to one of the two finalists moved into the repechage, culminating in a pair of bronze medal matches featuring the semifinal losers each facing the remaining repechage opponent from their half of the bracket.
Freestyle skiing at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Freestyle skiing was an official sport discipline for the first time at the 1992 Winter Olympics, with medals awarded in the moguls event. The venue was Tignes about 85 km from host city Albertville.
Wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's freestyle 48 kg
The women's freestyle 48 kg at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall, August 22 to August 23.
Wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics
Wrestling at the 1932 Summer Olympics was held between August 1–7 August at the Grand Olympic Auditorium. It was split into two disciplines, Freestyle and Greco-Roman which were further divided into different weight categories.
Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 62 kg
The Men's Freestyle 62 kg at the 1996 Summer Olympics as part of the wrestling program were held at the Georgia World Congress Center from July 31 to August 1.