Wrestling at the Summer Olympics

Wrestling at the Summer Olympics
Governing body FILA
Events 18 (men: 14; women: 4)
Games
1896 • 1900 • 1904 • 1908 • 1912 • 1920
1924 • 1928• 1932• 1936 • 1948 • 1952
1956 • 1960 • 1964 • 1968 • 1972 • 1976
1980 • 1984 • 1988 • 1992 • 1996 • 2000
2004 • 2008 • 2012 • 2016
Medalists (freestyle • Greco-Roman)

Wrestling had been contested at the Summer Olympic Games since the sport was introduced in the ancient Olympic Games in 708 BC.[1] When the modern Olympic Games resumed in Athens in 1896, wrestling (in the form of Greco-Roman wrestling) became a focus of the Games, with the exception of the 1900 Summer Olympics when wrestling did not appear on the program. Freestyle wrestling and weight classes both made their first appearance in 1904. The women's competition was introduced in 2004. In February 2013, the IOC voted to remove the sport from the 2020 Summer Olympics onwards.[2] On 8 September 2013, the IOC announced that wrestling would return to the Summer Olympics in 2020.[3][4] Along with boxing, it is one of only two sports that still require participants to have amateur status to participate in the Olympics.

Possible cancellation

Because of growing costs, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been under pressure to reduce the number of events and the number of athletes in each summer game. The IOC had adopted a system where "core sports" would continue indefinitely in future Olympics, but "non-core" sports would be selected for inclusion on an Olympic game-by-game basis. Wrestling had been one of the 26 core sports. However, following the 2012 London Olympics, the IOC's Executive Committee conducted a study of the 26 core sports in terms of their success at the London Olympics as well as world-wide grassroots support. The study sought to trim one core sport so that starting with the 2020 Olympics, only 25 core sports would continue to make room for one non-core sport. On February 12, 2013, the IOC Executive Board voted to recommend that wrestling be dropped as a core sport.

The international federation that governs wrestling (then known as FILA and now as United World Wrestling) responded with a statement the same day:

FILA was greatly astonished by today's recommendation of the IOC Executive Board not to maintain wrestling among the 25 core sports for the 2020 Olympic Games. FILA will take all necessary measures to convince the IOC Executive Board and IOC members of the aberration of such decision against one of the founding sports of the ancient and modern Olympic Games.[5]

On February 15, FILA held an emergency meeting and its President, Raphaël Martinetti, asked for a vote of confidence. When only 50% of his Board voted to support him, he resigned as FILA President.[5] Although wrestlers would be able to continue to compete in the World Games, United States wrestlers expressed grave disappointment at the possibility that they could be excluded from future Olympics.[6]

Wrestling had to compete with seven other non-core sports - baseball/softball, squash, karate, sport climbing, wakeboarding, wushu and roller sports - for a place in the 2020 Games.[2] On September 8, 2013, the IOC announced that wrestling had won the bid as a non-core sport and would return to the 2020 Summer Olympics.[3] Nenad Lalović, the new president of FILA, was largely credited with bringing the sport back into contention after wrestling made the short list in May.[3] Lalović following the announcement stated, "Normally this is done in a few years, we did it in a few months. It was a question of our survival" and that, "We did all we could, we changed our sport and the federation was successful. We continue to work tomorrow."[3]

Men

Event 96 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 Years
Greco-Roman light flyweight X X X X X X X 7
Greco-Roman flyweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 14
Greco-Roman bantamweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 21
Greco-Roman featherweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 23
Greco-Roman lightweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Greco-Roman welterweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 19
Greco-Roman middleweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Greco-Roman light heavyweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 19
Greco-Roman heavyweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 23
Greco-Roman super heavyweight X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
Greco-Roman open X 1
Freestyle light flyweight X X X X X X X X 8
Freestyle flyweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15
Freestyle bantamweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 22
Freestyle featherweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Freestyle lightweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Freestyle welterweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 22
Freestyle middleweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 23
Freestyle light heavyweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 18
Freestyle heavyweight X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24
Freestyle super heavyweight X X X X X X X X X X X 11
Events 1 0 7 9 5 10 13 13 14 14 16 16 16 16 16 16 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 16 14 14 14

Women

Event 96 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 Years
Freestyle flyweight X X X 3
Freestyle lightweight X X X 3
Freestyle middleweight X X X 3
Freestyle heavyweight X X X 3
Events 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 4

Participating nations

Nation 96 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 Years
 Afghanistan (AFG) -- -7858 8 5 - 1- 7
 Albania (ALB) X XX 3
 Algeria (ALG) X XXXXX 6
 American Samoa (ASA) X X 2
 Argentina (ARG)  5XXXXXX
 Armenia (ARM) XXXX 4
 Australia (AUS)  13XXXXXXXXXXXX
 Austria (AUT)  882XXXXXXXX
 Azerbaijan (AZE) XXXX 4
 Belarus (BLR) XXXX 4
 Belgium (BEL)  41121713XXXXXXX
 Bohemia (BOH) – 4 4 1
 Bolivia (BOL) X 1
 Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) X 1
 Brazil (BRA) – – XX XX 4
 Bulgaria (BUL) – – XXXXXXX XXXXXX 13
 Cambodia (CAM) X 1
 Cameroon (CMR) XXX X X 5
 Canada (CAN)  1155XXXXXXXXXXX
 China (CHN) XXXXXXX 7
 Chinese Taipei (TPE) X XX 3
 Colombia (COL) XXXXXXX 7
 Ivory Coast (CIV) X 1
 Croatia (CRO) XX 2
 Cuba (CUB) – – – XXX XXXXX 8
 Cyprus (CYP) XX 2
 Czech Republic (CZE) XXXX 4
 Czechoslovakia (TCH)  1096XXXXXXXXXX
 Denmark (DEN)  11910117XXXXXX
 Dominican Republic (DOM) X XX X 4
 Ecuador (ECU) – X X 2
 Egypt (EGY)  124XXXXXXXXXX
 El Salvador (ESA) XX X 3
 Estonia (EST) 4 8618 4431 9
 Finland (FIN) 4 37 18 24 13 XXXXX XXXXXXXXXX 2
 France (FRA) – – – – 6 17 23 13 XXX X XXXXXXXXXXX 17
 The Gambia (GAM) X 1
 Georgia (GEO) XXXX 4
 Germany (GER) 1 – – 1 14 6 XX XXXXX 11
 Unified Team of Germany (EUA) XXX 3
 East Germany (GDR) XXXX X 5
 West Germany (FRG) X XXX XX 6
 Great Britain (GBR) 1 – – 53 12 10 14 6 X XXXXXXX X 13
 Greece (GRE) 2 – – – 1 5 2 3 XXXXXXXXXXX 12
 Guam (GUM) XXX XX 5
 Guatemala (GUA) X XXX 4
 Guinea (GUI) X 1
 Guinea-Bissau (GBS) XXXX 4
 Hungary (HUN) 1 – – 7 10 12 6 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXXX 21
 Iceland (ISL) 1 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 1
 Independent Participants (IOP) X 1
 India (IND) – 2 – X X XXXXXXXX 10
 Indonesia (INA) X 1
 Iran (IRI) XXXXXXXX XXXXXX 14
 Iraq (IRQ) XXX 3
 Ireland (IRL) – X 1
 Israel (ISR) XX XXXXX 7
 Italy (ITA) – – 1 6 8 17 5 X XXX XXXXXXXXXX 16
 Japan (JPN) – – 1 1 XXXXXXX XXXXXXX 15
 Jordan (JOR) X 1
 Kazakhstan (KAZ) XXXX 4
 Kenya (KEN) X 1
 North Korea (PRK) XXX XXXXX 8
 South Korea (KOR) X XX XXXXXXX 10
 Kyrgyzstan (KGZ) XXXX 4
 Latvia (LAT) 6 2 X XXXX 5
 Lebanon (LIB) X XXXXX 6
 Lithuania (LTU) – 1 3234 5
 Luxembourg (LUX) – – 2 2 3
 Macedonia (MKD) XXXX 4
 Malta (MLT) XX 2
 Mauritania (MTN) XX 2
 Mauritius (MRI) X 1
 Mexico (MEX) – – XXXXXXX X 8
 Moldova (MDA) XXXX 4
 Mongolia (MGL) XXXX XXXXXX 10
 Morocco (MAR) XX XXXX 6
 Namibia (NAM) X 1
 Netherlands (NED) – 9 3 9 8 6 X X 3
 New Zealand (NZL) – – XX XXX X 6
 Nicaragua (NCA) X 1
 Nigeria (NGR) XXXXXXXX 8
 Norway (NOR) – 1 9 7 7 7 X XX XXXXXXX 12
 Pakistan (PAK) X XX XXXX 7
 Palau (PLW) XX 2
 Panama (PAN) XX XXXX 6
 Peru (PER) X XXX X XX 7
 Philippines (PHI) – X X 2
 Poland (POL) 2 4 X XXX XXXXXX 10
 Portugal (POR) 2 – – 1 XX XXX X 6
 Puerto Rico (PUR) X XXXX X 6
 Romania (ROU) – – XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 14
 Russia (RUS) – 4 11 XXXX 16
 Samoa (SAM) X X 2
 Senegal (SEN) XXXXXXXXXX 10
 Serbia (SRB) X 1
 Serbia and Montenegro (SCG) X 1
 Slovakia (SVK) XXXX 4
 South Africa (RSA) – – – 1 – 1 XXXXX 5
 Soviet Union (URS) XXXXXXXX X 9
 Spain (ESP) – – 2 XXXX XX 6
 Sweden (SWE) – – 9 34 13 13 9 XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX 22
 Switzerland (SUI) – – – – – 4 12 11 X X XXXXXXXX 13
 Syria (SYR) X XXXXX 6
 Tajikistan (TJK) X XX 3
 Tunisia (TUN) X XXXXXX 7
 Turkey (TUR) – – 5 6 XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX 16
 Turkmenistan (TKM) XX 2
 Ukraine (UKR) XXXX 4
 Unified Team (EUN) X 1
 United States (USA) – – 42 6 2 18 14 7 XXXXXX XXX XXXXXXX 22
 Uzbekistan (UZB) XXXX 4
 Venezuela (VEN) XXXXX 5
 Vietnam (VIE) X X 2
 Virgin Islands (ISV) X 1
 Yemen (YEM) X 1
 North Yemen (YAR) X 1
 Yugoslavia (YUG) - 2 5 XXXXXXXX X 9
No. of nations 4 – 1 14 18 19 26 29 50 41 35 44 69 59 75 55 66 59
No. of wrestlers 5 – 42 115 170 152 229 166

All-time medal table – 1896–2012

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  Soviet Union (URS) 62 31 23 116
2  United States (USA) 50 43 32 125
3  Japan (JPN) 28 27 29 84
4  Finland (FIN) 28 17 17 62
5  Sweden (SWE) 28 16 14 58
6  Turkey (TUR) 26 28 29 83
7  Russia (RUS) 25 13 13 51
8  Hungary (HUN) 19 16 19 54
9  Bulgaria (BUL) 16 32 20 68
10  South Korea (KOR) 11 11 13 35
11  Iran (IRI) 8 13 17 38
12  Romania (ROU) 7 8 17 32
13  Italy (ITA) 7 4 9 20
14  Poland (POL) 6 9 11 26
15  Cuba (CUB) 6 5 7 18
16  Unified Team (EUN) 6 5 5 16
17  Estonia (EST) 5 2 4 11
18  Germany (GER) 4 11 5 20
19  Yugoslavia (YUG) 4 6 6 16
20  Azerbaijan (AZE) 4 5 5 14
21  France (FRA) 4 4 8 16
22  Switzerland (SUI) 4 4 6 14
23  Canada (CAN) 4 2 0 6
24  Great Britain (GBR) 3 4 10 17
25  Ukraine (UKR) 3 4 6 13
26  North Korea (PRK) 3 2 4 9
27  Uzbekistan (UZB) 2 7 7 16
28  China (CHN) 2 3 3 8
29  East Germany (GDR) 2 3 2 7
 Egypt (EGY) 2 3 2 7
31  Georgia (GEO) 2 2 7 11
32  Norway (NOR) 2 2 1 5
33  Czechoslovakia (TCH) 1 7 7 15
34  Unified Team of Germany (EUA) 1 5 3 9
35  Kazakhstan (KAZ) 1 4 9 14
36  West Germany (FRG) 1 4 4 4
37  Greece (GRE) 1 3 7 11
38  Armenia (ARM) 1 2 3 6
39  Mongolia (MGL) 0 4 5 9
40  Belarus (BLR) 0 3 5 8
41  Belgium (BEL) 0 3 0 3
42  Denmark (DEN) 0 2 6 8
43  India (IND) 0 1 3 4
44  Lebanon (LIB) 0 1 2 3
 Australia (AUS) 0 1 2 3
46  Syria (SYR) 0 1 0 1
 Mexico (MEX) 0 1 0 1
 Latvia (LAT) 0 1 0 1
49  Austria (AUT) 0 0 2 2
 Colombia (COL) 0 0 2 2
 Lithuania (LTU) 0 0 2 2
52  Macedonia (MKD) 0 0 1 1
 Pakistan (PAK) 0 0 1 1
 Moldova (MDA) 0 0 1 1
Total 958 959 962 1078

All-time medal table – Greco-Roman – 1896–2012

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  Soviet Union (URS) 34 16 10 60
2  Finland (FIN) 20 21 19 58
3  Sweden (SWE) 18 17 19 56
4  Hungary (HUN) 16 10 10 36
5  Bulgaria (BUL) 9 14 8 31
6  Romania (ROU) 6 8 13 27
7  Turkey (TUR) 11 5 4 20
8  Poland (POL) 6 8 6 20
9  Russia (RUS) 5 5 4 14
10  Italy (ITA) 5 4 9 18
11  South Korea (KOR) 5 2 5 12
12  Germany (GER) 4 9 5 18
13  Japan (JPN) 4 5 2 11
14  United States (USA) 3 6 5 14
15  Yugoslavia (YUG) 3 5 4 12
16  Cuba (CUB) 3 4 2 9
17  Iran (IRI) 3 1 1 5
18  Estonia (EST) 3 0 4 7
19  Egypt (EGY) 2 2 2 6
20  East Germany (GDR) 2 1 1 4
20  Norway (NOR) 2 1 1 4
22  Czechoslovakia (TCH) 1 6 4 11
23  Greece (GRE) 1 3 5 9
24  West Germany (FRG) 1 3 1 5
25  France (FRA) 1 2 2 5
26  Kazakhstan (KAZ) 1 1 1 3
26  Ukraine (UKR) 1 1 1 3
28  Armenia (ARM) 1 0 0 1
28  Azerbaijan (AZE) 1 0 0 1
38  Uzbekistan (UZB) 1 0 0 1
31  Unified Team of Germany (EUA) 0 4 3 7
32  Denmark (DEN) 0 2 6 8
33  Belarus (BLR) 0 2 3 5
34  Georgia (GEO) 0 1 2 3
34  Lebanon (LIB) 0 1 2 3
36  Unified Team (EUN) 3 3 3 9
37  Latvia (LAT) 0 1 0 1
37  Mexico (MEX) 0 1 0 1
39  Lithuania (LTU) 0 0 2 2
40  Austria (AUT) 0 0 1 1
40  China (CHN) 0 0 1 1
40  Moldova (MDA) 0 0 1 1
40  North Korea (PRK) 0 0 1 1
40  Switzerland (SUI) 0 0 1 1
Total 174 175 175 523

All-time medal table – Freestyle – 1904–2012

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  United States (USA) 47 37 26 110
2  Soviet Union (URS) 28 15 13 56
3  Japan (JPN) 20 12 13 45
4  Turkey (TUR) 17 11 8 36
5  Finland (FIN) 13 5 4 22
6  Sweden (SWE) 8 10 8 26
7  Russia (RUS) 8 7 10 25
8  Bulgaria (BUL) 7 17 11 35
9  Iran (IRI) 5 11 14 30
10  South Korea (KOR) 4 9 7 20
11  Switzerland (SUI) 4 4 5 13
12  Great Britain (GBR) 3 4 10 17
13  Hungary (HUN) 3 4 7 14
14  North Korea (PRK) 3 2 3 8
15  Unified Team (EUN) 3 2 2 7
16  Canada (CAN) 2 6 6 14
17  Ukraine (UKR) 2 3 4 9
18  Uzbekistan (UZB) 2 3 0 5
19  France (FRA) 2 2 5 9
20  Cuba (CUB) 2 1 4 7
21  Estonia (EST) 2 1 0 3
21  China (CHN) 2 1 0 3
23  Germany (GER)[7] 1 3 3 2
24  Yugoslavia (YUG) 1 1 2 4
24  Azerbaijan (AZE) 1 1 2 4
26  Romania (ROU) 1 0 4 5
26  Georgia (GEO) 1 0 4 5
28  Italy (ITA) 1 0 0 1
29  Mongolia (MGL) 0 4 4 8
30  Kazakhstan (KAZ) 0 3 3 6
31  Belgium (BEL) 0 3 0 3
32  East Germany (GDR) 0 2 1 3
33  Poland (POL) 0 1 4 4
34  West Germany (FRG) 0 1 3 4
34  Czechoslovakia (TCH) 0 1 3 4
34  India (IND) 0 1 3 4
36  Australia (AUS) 0 1 2 3
37  Belarus (BLR) 0 1 1 2
38  Armenia (ARM) 0 1 0 1
38  Norway (NOR) 0 1 0 1
38  Syria (SYR) 0 1 0 1
38  Tajikistan (TJK) 0 1 0 1
43  Greece (GRE) 0 0 2 2
44  Austria (AUT) 0 0 1 1
44  Colombia (COL) 0 0 1 1
44  Macedonia (MKD) 0 0 1 1
44  Pakistan (PAK) 0 0 1 1
44  Slovakia (SVK) 0 0 1 1
Total 193 193 205 591

Source: Wrestling Freestyle Olympics Medal Table at olympicmedals.com

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.olympic.org/wrestling-greco-roman-equipment-and-history?tab=1
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/21427455
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 KAROLOS GROHMANN (8 September 2013). "Wrestling wins vote and will be part of 2020 Tokyo Olympics". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
  4. ↑ "India Welcomes Re-Inclusion Of Wrestling In Olympic Games". Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Recommendation of IOC Executive Board". Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  6. ↑ Sheinin, Dave (February 15, 2012). "Wrestling prodigy's Olympic dream in jeopardy". Washington Post. p. A1.
  7. ↑ Includes the  Unified Team of Germany (EUA)