Wrestling at the Olympic Games
Wrestling has had a long association with the Olympic Games. Wrestling was an event at the ancient Olympic Games, and was also included in the first Olympic Games in 1896. Since these first Games, wrestling has been included in every Olympic program, with the exception of the 1900 Summer Olympics.
Glima Demonstration at the 1912 Olympic Games. from: THE OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES OF STOCKHOLM 1912The organizers of the Olympics introduced Greco-Roman wrestling, a style they believed to be an exact carryover from the wrestling styles used in ancient times.
In 1904, the Olympic Games added the second wrestling event, called freestyle wrestling, to the Greco-Roman event, which allowed the wrestlers to use their legs for pushing, lifting and tripping, and they could also hold their opponents above or below the waist.
A women's freestyle wrestling competition was introduced in 2004. Greco-Roman Wrestling reamins a men-only event.
In 2013 wrestling was removed from the 'core' sports list, opening up a spot for a new sport to be included. Fortunately for wrestling, it made it back on the shortlist for inclusion, then was voted back in for 2020 and 2024!
Trivia
- The wrestling event (men's open Greco-Roman) at the 1896 Olympics was the only time weight classes were not used.
- The best all-time performing wrestlers at the Olympic Games is Japan's Kaori Icho and cuba's Mijaín López, each with four gold medals. See more on the Greatest Olympic Wrestlers.
- A wrestling bout in 1912 between Estonia's Martin Klein and Finland's Alfred Asikainen lasted 11 hours and 40 minutes before Klein finally won. Klein was so exhausted he could not compete in the final so the gold medal went to Swede Claes Johanson by default. At the same Olympics, Sweden's Anders Ahlgren fought Finland's Ivor Böhling in the final of the light heavyweight class. The pair wrestled for nine hours without a winner and the officials declared the match a tie. Neither of the two was awarded a gold medal, both receiving silver instead.
- Glima (Icelandic Wrestling) is an Icelandic national style of folk wrestling, and was a demonstration sport at the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games.
- The wrestling competition at the Rome 1960 Olympic Games took place at the ancient Basilica of Maxentius in the Roman Forum.
Related Pages
- Wrestling at the Olympics: Freestyle & Greco-Roman
- More about the sport of Wrestling
- Wrestling at the Paralympics
- List of Olympic Sports
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