Disciplines' origin

Freestyle

With the possible exception of track and field (athletics), wrestling is the most ancient sport known to have been continuously practised competitively. Wrestling was introduced into the ancient Olympics in 708 BC, shortly after the Games' recorded history began in 776 BC. Wrestling pre-dates the ancient Olympic Games. Cave drawings of wrestlers from 3000 BC in the Sumero-Akkadian civilisation have been found. Similar wall paintings exist from ancient Egyptian civilisations circa 2400 BC.

There are literally hundreds of styles of wrestling world-wide today, with many nations having indigenous forms. Among these are Glíma wrestling in Iceland, Schwingen wrestling in Switzerland, and Cumberland wrestling in Britain.

But there are four main forms of amateur competitive wrestling practised internationally today: Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, judo wrestling and Sambo wrestling. Judo is considered a separate sport at the Olympics. Sambo is a combination of freestyle and judo and is most popular in the republics of the former Soviet Union, but it has not yet been contested in the Olympics.

Freestyle wrestling is similar to American collegiate style, or folkstyle wrestling. Holds are relatively unlimited, provided they are not dangerous, and can be applied to any part of the body. Greco-Roman wrestling limits holds to the upper body.

Greco-Roman

With the possible exception of track and field (athletics), wrestling is the most ancient sport known to have been continuously practised competitively. Wrestling was introduced into the ancient Olympics in 708 BC, shortly after the Games' recorded history began in 776 BC. Wrestling pre-dates the ancient Olympic Games.

Cave drawings of wrestlers from 3000 BC in the Sumero-Akkadian civilisation have been found. Similar wall paintings exist from ancient Egyptian civilisations circa 2400 BC. There are literally hundreds of styles of wrestling world-wide today, with many nations having indigenous forms.

Among these are Glíma wrestling in Iceland, Schwingen wrestling in Switzerland, and Cumberland wrestling in Britain. But there are four main forms of amateur competitive wrestling practised internationally today: Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, judo wrestling and Sambo wrestling.

Judo is considered a separate sport at the Olympics. Sambo is a combination of freestyle and judo and is most popular in the republics of the former Soviet Union, but it has not yet been contested in the Olympics. Freestyle wrestling is similar to American collegiate style, or folkstyle wrestling. Holds are relatively unlimited, provided they are not dangerous, and can be applied to any part of the body. Greco-Roman wrestling limits holds to the upper body.

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.

(Credit: IOC. Click here for further information.)