Olympic Wrestling

ExCeL Centre, Royal Victoria Docks, One Western Gateway, London
Olympic Wrestling image
Ad
Event has ended
This event ended on Sunday 12th of August 2012
Admission
Ticket only
Location

ExCeL Centre, Royal Victoria Docks, One Western Gateway, London

Nearest Tube/Rail Stations
Custom House 0.12 miles

The origins of wrestling are so far back in history that no-one really knows where it all began. It is thought that wrestling in some form or another began back in Egyptian times although the modern version was first seen during the early Olympic Games around 2000 years ago.

Due to the long history of the sport, several different versions have been developed by different countries. The Olympic version is played in three sections, of two minutes each. The aim is to get the opposition onto the floor and to hold them there.

The Olympic Games has two distinct styles, the first is freestyle in which wrestlers can use any part of their body in the battle; the second is the Greco-roman, which prohibits the use of legs.

It was the Greco-Roman version that was first introduced into the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. Freestyle soon followed in 1904 although it wasn’t until 2000 that women were allowed to compete at wrestling. Freestyle was popular as entertainment across the UK and USA and it was this popularity that resulted in its inclusion in the Olympic Games.

In the modern version, points are awarded to the wrestlers during the two minute rounds although this has not always been the case. It used to be that the games would continue until someone was forced to the floor. The longest recorded match at the Olympics was in 1912 and lasted a total of 11 hours.

Tags: Sport

User Reviews

There are no user reviews