Wrestling has been a part of the Olympic program since 1896 and there are two disciplines practiced today, Greco-Roman and freestyle. In both, athletes grapple each other in a 9-meter in diameter ring and attempt to pin their opponent’s shoulders to the mat for one second. Greco-Roman wrestlers only use their upper body, but freestyle wrestlers can use their entire body.
Bouts consist of two three-minute rounds with a 30-second break in between. If neither competitor can pin the other’s shoulders to the mat, the match is decided on points awarded for various moves. For example, a point can be earned by moving an opponent out of the ring and wrestlers can earn points by throwing their opponent or putting them in an unfavorable position.
In freestyle wrestling, if the point spread reaches 10 points, the leading wrestler wins, while in Greco-Roman, the spread is eight points.
Greco-Roman wrestling begins from a standing position, making the sport rely heavily on throwing and upper body strength. In freestyle, the main focus is to take the opponent to the ground by disrupting their balance with leg attacks and throws.
Wrestling events run from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7.
Venue and access information
Wrestling will take place in Makuhari Messe Hall A in Chiba Prefecture. The venue has a capacity of 10,000 and is five minutes from Kaihinmakuhari Station on the Keiyo Line.
[olympic_schedule sport=wrestling]
