708 BCE
Ancient Olympics
Wrestling joins the ancient Olympic Games in Greece, becoming the final and most prestigious event of the pentathlon.
EST. ANTIQUITY · STILL EVOLVING
The Oldest Sport on Record
Amateur wrestling has been contested for over five thousand years — from the arenas of Babylon and Greece to the mats of today's schools and Olympic Games. This is its story, and a guide to how it's fought.
1896 CE
Modern Revival
Wrestling appears at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens and has been on the program nearly every Games since.
Today
A Global Sport
Greco-Roman, freestyle, and collegiate styles are practiced by millions of wrestlers in schools and clubs worldwide.
Two Paths Into the Sport
Whether you want to trace wrestling from the Epic of Gilgamesh to the modern Olympic podium, or learn the difference between a cradle and a fireman's carry, the pages below have you covered.
- 5000+
- years of recorded wrestling history
- 3
- major styles: Greco-Roman, freestyle, folkstyle
- 2004
- women's freestyle debuts at the Olympic Games
- 6
- minutes of regulation collegiate match time