Sport-by-sport - Wrestling
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| Chairman | Malcolm Morley | |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executive | Colin Nicholson | |
| Performance Director | Shaun Morley |
Sport Profile
| Funding Award (2009-2013) | £1,435,210 |
| Best London 2012 Performance | 11th place. |
| Athletes on World Class Performance Programme | 3 |
| Past Performances | |
| Press Officer | Peter Jones |
| Press Officer tel | 07841 997 408 |
| Website | http://www.britishwrestling.org |
| National governing body | British Wrestling Association |
UK Sport began funding Wrestling after it was announced that London had won the bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012. Compared to many others, it is a sport which does not have a great Olympic tradition in the UK and only one British athlete has represented Team GB in the sport at the last three Olympics.
There are two Wrestling disciplines at London 2012: Greco-Roman and Freestyle. In Greco-Roman Wrestling, athletes are only allowed to use their arms and upper bodies to attack their opponents’ upper bodies. It has been part of the Olympic programme since the first modern Games in Athens in 1896 and closely reflects the version of the sport which was so popular at the ancient Games in Greece.
Greco-Roman is a male only discipline, while Freestyle has categories for both women and men. There will be a total of eighteen gold medals available across the sport in London. Great Britain will be represented at the Games by Olga Butkevych in the Women’s Freestyle -55kg weight category.
On the international stage, it is a sport that has been dominated by Russia in recent times. Indeed they won eleven medals across the eighteen categories in Beijing in 2008, including six golds. Japan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Georgia will also be hoping to put in a number of strong performances in London.
Did You Know?
Wrestling was one of the original sports in the programme of the ancient Olympic Games in Greece in 776 BC.
*Accurate as of May 2012
Selected athletes:
Olga Butkevych
