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| wrestling (sport) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Wrestling |
| First | Antiquity |
| Team | Individual |
| Equipment | Mat, singlet, headgear |
| Olympic | 1896 |
wrestling (sport) is a combat sport focused on grappling, throws, pins, and submission holds practiced worldwide in amateur, collegiate, and professional contexts. Its modern competitive forms derive from ancient contests in Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, and Mesopotamia and have been codified by organizations such as United World Wrestling, International Olympic Committee, and national federations. Wrestlers compete in weight classes at events like the Summer Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and Pan American Games under rules influenced by historical traditions from regions such as Mongolia, Iran, Turkey, and Japan.
The sport traces roots to pictographs from Sumer and frescoes from Minoan civilization and featured in the Ancient Olympic Games, where athletes like those depicted in the Temple of Athena competed under shared customs. Medieval developments occurred during the Middle Ages in courts of Charlemagne and in folk traditions like Cornish wrestling and Schwingen in Switzerland, while codification emerged in the 19th century with figures associated with the Victorian era and clubs in London and New York City. International institutionalization followed with the formation of bodies such as the International Amateur Wrestling Federation and inclusion in the Modern Olympic Games, influenced by proponents from nations including France, Germany, Russia, and United States sporting movements.
Competitive branches include Freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, and scholastic forms like Collegiate wrestling prominent in the United States and Canada, each with distinct legal techniques tracing to regional schools such as Varzesh-e Pahlavani in Iran and Sumo-style rituals in Japan. Folk styles include Kuresh in Central Asia, Kushti in India, Lutte sénégalaise in Senegal, and Gulash in Hungary, while submission-oriented disciplines intersect with Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Catch wrestling traditions from England and Australia. Paralympic and adaptive variants are governed by organizations tied to IPC initiatives and national associations in countries like Germany and Italy.
Governing bodies such as United World Wrestling and national committees like the National Collegiate Athletic Association publish rules defining weight classes, match duration, and point values for takedowns, exposures, and penalties at events like the World Wrestling Championships and the Olympic Games. Scoring awards points for actions rooted in traditional techniques found in treatises from Mongol Empire campaigns and accounts of Alexander the Great's troops, with technical superiority, pinfalls, and cautions influencing victory conditions applied by referees trained via programs from federations linked to European Union sports funding. Disciplinary protocols reference arbitration mechanisms similar to systems used by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for eligibility disputes and anti-doping oversight aligned with the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Preparation encompasses periodized regimens influenced by strength programs from Soviet Union sports science, conditioning models used by United States Olympic Committee, and techniques preserved in manuals from Ottoman Empire wrestling schools; common drills include stance work, sprawls, and entries derived from coaches associated with clubs in Istanbul, Tehran, and Tokyo. Technical repertoires feature single-leg and double-leg takedowns, throws like variants of the hip toss documented in Ninjutsu texts, pinning combinations, and escapes adapted into curricula at institutes such as the Kraft Gym and national training centers in Baku and Tbilisi. Cross-training includes plyometrics from programs promoted by East Germany sport science, caloric strategies informed by nutritionists linked to Australian Institute of Sport, and recovery protocols mirroring practices in Sweden and Canada.
Competition requires mats meeting standards from bodies like United World Wrestling and protective gear such as ear guards popularized in collegiate programs at NCAA institutions and singlets regulated by national federations in Russia and France. Ancillary equipment includes kneepads and tape used by athletes from clubs in Spain and Poland and weigh-in procedures aligned with protocols from events like the European Games and Asian Games. Venue requirements reference standards applied at stadiums used for tournaments in Budapest and Kazan and safety signage consistent with municipal codes in cities such as Los Angeles and Paris.
Major events include the World Wrestling Championships, the Olympic Games, continental tournaments like the Asian Wrestling Championships, and regional circuits organized by national bodies such as the Russian Wrestling Federation and the United States Wrestling Association. Governance structures involve commissions and technical committees within federations like United World Wrestling and national Olympic committees coordinating with entities including the International Olympic Committee and the European Olympic Committees for event qualification, while athlete representation may interface with labor and legal institutions such as the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Medical oversight follows guidelines from sports medicine organizations including the International Federation of Sports Medicine and national health agencies in Canada and Germany addressing concussion protocols, skin infection prevention from conditions seen in warm climates like India and Brazil, and weight-management policies influenced by cases adjudicated under World Anti-Doping Agency rules. Injury prevention draws on research from universities such as Ohio State University and Loughborough University and rehabilitation frameworks practiced at clinics in Zurich and Stockholm that coordinate with national team medical staff from federations in Japan and United States.