Wrestling dates back to the times of the ancient Egyptians.
2012 Summer Olympic Wrestling Events Key facts
Venue: ExCeL
Dates: Saturday 4 August – Sunday 12 August
Gold medals: 18
Athletes: 344
Wrestling: A history of the sport
Wrestling can be traced as far back as human records go. There is evidence of its early existence in ancient Egyptian wall paintings.
In ancient Greece, 2,000 years later, it was among the most popular events at the original Olympic Games.
The sport has taken many forms over its long history. Different versions have flourished in different areas of the world.
Wrestling at the Games
Greco-Roman Wrestling was an event at the first modern Games in Athens 1896. The organisers hoped it would give a flavour of the ancient Greek Olympic Games, where the sport had been very popular.
Freestyle was introduced by public demand at the St Louis 1904 Games. Women had to wait another 100 years to compete in Wrestling, at Athens 2004.
How to play – and win
Wrestling is a body-to-body combat sport. The aim is to force the back of the opponent’s shoulders on to the ground. Bouts take place on a mat, and can last for a maximum of three periods of two minutes, with a 30-second break in between. A contest can finish early if a wrestler wins the first two periods or pins his opponent.
There are two styles of Wrestling at the Games: Greco-Roman and Freestyle. Women compete only in a Freestyle event. In Freestyle, competitors can use all parts of their body to do moves and holds. In Greco-Roman, use of the legs to make contact and use of the arms below the waist of the opponent are forbidden.
Jargon buster
* Body lock: A hold where a wrestler locks arms around the body of his opponent before taking him to the mat.
* Bridge: The arched position a wrestler adopts to avoid his back touching the mat.
* Arm throw: A move where the wrestler throws his opponent over his shoulder by using his arm.
* Takedown: To take an opponent from a standing position to the ground.
* Pin: To force an opponent‘s shoulders to the ground to stop and win the match.
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