Paris 2024 Olympics: Wrestling Rules & How To Watch

Wrestling is one of the oldest sports in human history—if not the oldest. Today, modern wrestling consists of two separate disciplines: Greco-Roman Wrestling & Freestyle Wrestling.

Greco-Roman wrestling has been a prominent Olympic event since the first modern Games in Athens in 1896, becoming a permanent fixture in 1908. Freestyle wrestling debuted at the St. Louis 1904 Games and has been a staple since the Antwerp 1920 Games. Women’s freestyle wrestling was introduced to the Olympic program at the Athens 2004 Games.

Rules of Olympic Wrestling

In the Olympics, wrestling is contested in two disciplines, each with its own rules. However, the objective remains the same in both styles. Matches are held on a circular combat area, and a bout consists of two three-minute periods. Wrestlers must either pin their opponent’s shoulders to the mat using their bare hands without holding them by their singlet (known as a ‘fall’) or, if no fall is secured, accumulate the most points by performing takedown and reversal moves.

• Greco-Roman Wrestling: Competitors can only use their arms and upper bodies to attack above the waist.
• Freestyle Wrestling: This open form of the sport allows the use of legs and holding opponents both above and below the waist.

Olympic Achievements

• Soviet Union: Athletes have won 116 medals, including 62 golds.
• United States: Team USA has secured 142 medals, including 57 golds.
• Japan: Dominates women’s wrestling, winning 15 out of a possible 24 gold medals.

When & How To Watch

Catch every event of the 2024 Paris Olympics live by subscribing to Peacock. Once subscribed, you can either visit the website or download the Peacock app on your phone, tablet, or connected TV device and head to the Olympics section.

Additionally, if you have a cable subscription, you can authenticate your account to watch live streams of all Olympic events on the NBC Olympics website, NBC’s site, the NBC app, or the NBC Olympics app. These streams are accessible via web browsers, phones, tablets, and connected TV devices.

The mens and women’s wrestling events will take place starting on Monday, August 5th until Sunday, August 11th. The finals will take place starting at the end of Thursday, August 8th until the 11th.

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About Post Author

Joey Torres

Joey Torres is a Co-Founder of The Scrap, and a dedicated storyteller with a passion for Pro Wrestling and Combat Sports. With a Master of Science in Integrated Design, Business & Technology from the University of Southern California, Joey combines creativity and branding to bring compelling stories to life while bringing refreshingly original content to the world of sports media.

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