Freestyle

Wrestling was on the program at the first modern Olympics in 1896, and 1900 was the only year that wrestling did not feature on the program at all. Both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling have been consistently contested at the Olympics since 1920. Prior to that (except in 1908), only one form was used, usually Greco-Roman.

Today the dominant country in wrestling is Russia, especially in the Greco-Roman style. The United States is close to the Russians in freestyle, however. Other countries which produce top international wrestlers include Iran, Turkey and Mongolia, and wrestling is the national sport of these three nations.

At the 2000 Games in Sydney the wrestling program underwent a change. Since 1972, wrestling has had 10 classes in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, but during the Sydney Games only eight classes were contested in each style. The weights also changed slightly, and the lightest class, usually termed light-flyweight, has basically been eliminated. Reducing the number of classes from 10 to 7 for freestyle and Greco-Roman allowed four classes of women's wrestling to be introduced at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Greco-Roman

Wrestling was on the program at the first modern Olympics in 1896, and 1900 was the only year that wrestling did not feature on the program at all. Both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling have been consistently contested at the Olympics since 1920. Prior to that (except in 1908), only one form was used, usually Greco-Roman.

Today the dominant country in wrestling is Russia, especially in the Greco-Roman style. The United States is close to the Russians in freestyle, however. Other countries which produce top international wrestlers include Iran, Turkey and Mongolia, and wrestling is the national sport of these three nations.

At the 2000 Games in Sydney the wrestling program underwent a change. Since 1972, wrestling has had 10 classes in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, but during the Sydney Games only eight classes were contested in each style. The weights also changed slightly, and the lightest class, usually termed light-flyweight, has basically been eliminated.

(BOCOG)