Here’s what you need to know about wrestling at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
When did wrestling become an Olympic sport?
Wrestling was part of the Ancient Greek Olympics, where competitors fought while covered in oil. The sport was part of the first modern Games in 1896 and has been an Olympic sport continuously since 1904. In 2004, women’s wrestling was added to the Olympic program.
How does Olympic wrestling work?
There are two disciplines in men’s wrestling, Greco-Roman and freestyle, and six weight classes per discipline. Women wrestle only in the freestyle form. Wrestlers are not permitted to use or touch their opponent’s legs in Greco-Roman wrestling, but can use their entire bodies in freestyle. In both disciplines, wrestlers attempt to pin both of their opponent’s shoulders to the mat during two three-minute periods. Competitors earn points throughout the match for takedowns, holds, throws and other moves. If neither wrestler is pinned, the one who scores the most points wins.
Who are the top Team USA athletes in wrestling?
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Kyle Snyder (97 kg): Two-time Olympic medalist won gold in 2016 and silver in 2020; won bronze medal at 2023 world championships.
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Helen Maroulis (57 kg): Two-time Olympic medalist won gold in 2016 and bronze in 2020; first U.S. woman to win Olympic gold; won bronze medal at 2023 world championships.
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Aaron Brooks (86 kg): Five-time All-American and four-time NCAA champion went 89-3 at Penn State; qualified for first Olympics this year with upset of 2020 Olympic gold medalist David Taylor at trials.
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Amit Elor (68 kg): Two-time gold medalist at 2022-23 world championships; vying to become youngest American to win Olympic gold at 20 years old.
What’s the international landscape in Olympic wrestling?
The United States won nine wrestling medals in the Tokyo Games, its most ever in a non-boycotted Olympics, and could approach or surpass that number this summer. The U.S. has qualifiers in all six women’s weight classes. Japan, with five reigning world champions (in eight weight classes, two more than in the Olympics), is the sport’s powerhouse.
On the men’s side, Iran and Russia, whose wrestlers will compete unaffiliated this summer because of the Ukraine war, are other powers in freestyle wrestling. Russia’s Zaurbek Sidakov is the reigning Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion at 74 kg, and he awaits a potential showdown with Team USA’s Kyle Dake. Historically, the U.S. is not as strong in Greco-Roman wrestling, where 41-year-old Cuban heavyweight Mijain Lopez is expected to try for what would be his record fifth straight gold medal.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wrestling at 2024 Paris Olympics: How it works, what to know
