Competition Format
There were a total of 21 gold medals contested in wrestling at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The men’s competition featured both Freestyle and Greco Roman disciplines with seven weight categories in each: 50-55kg, 60kg, 66kg, 74kg, 84kg, 96kg, 96-120kg.
The women’s competition was in freestyle only with seven weight categories: 44-48kg, 51kg, 55kg, 59kg, 63kg, 67kg, 67-72kg.
The competitions take place by direct elimination system with an ideal number of wrestlers, i.e. 4, 8,16, 32, 64, etc. If there is no ideal number of wrestlers in a category, qualification matches will take place.
Pairing is made in the order of the numbers drawn at random. All wrestlers who lost against both finalists will have repechage matches. There are two separated groups of repechage: one group of wrestlers who lost against the first finalist, and another group of wrestlers who lost against the second finalist. The repechage matches begin with wrestlers who lost in the first round including in matches to obtain the ideal number against one of the two finalists up to the losers in the semi-finals by direct elimination. The winners of the two repechage groups will wrestle for the bronze medal.
Each weight category begins and ends in a day. Each category weigh-in takes place the day before the beginning of the category concerned.
The competition takes place in the following manner:
- Qualification rounds
- Elimination rounds
- Repechage rounds
- Finals
If there are less than six wrestlers in a weigh-in category, the Nordic round will take place (each wrestler against each wrestler).
Freestyle
Freestyle wrestling was developed in Great-Britain and in the United States under the name of catch-as-catch-can and became the favourite attraction in fairs and popular celebrations during the 19th century. The goal of this discipline was to bring the adversary’s shoulder to the ground and almost all holds were allowed. Wrestling in the United States was an extremely popular sport and was introduced for the first time in the Saint Louis Olympic Games in 1904. The division of weight categories was an important innovation since wrestling competitions took place in a unique category.
Greco Roman
The origins of Greco-Roman wrestling should not be sought in ancient times, since the style practised by the Greeks and the Romans was actually similar to freestyle wrestling. This style has its origins in the 19th century and was created by a Napoleon soldier named Exbroyat. He performed in Lyon fairs what he called “flat hand wrestling” to differentiate it from other combat sports where hitting his opponent was allowed. In 1848, he established as a rule, not to execute holds underneath the waist, and forbid holds and painful torsions that could hurt the adversary. Greco-Roman wrestling was the first style registered in the Modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 and this form of professional entertainment became a first class amateur sport during the 20th century.
Greco-Roman and the freestyle basically differ as follows: In Greco-Roman Wrestling, it is strictly forbidden to grasp the opponent below the belt line, or to trip him or to use the legs actively to perform any action. In Freestyle wrestling, however, it is permissible to grasp the legs of the opponent, to trip him and to use the legs actively to perform any action.
Female Wrestling
Female wrestling is similar to freestyle wrestling, but it forbids double head locks (double Nelsons) which are dangerous for women. Amateur female wrestling was first practised in France and Scandinavian countries in the 80s. At the beginning, both styles experienceda certain evolution, but in the end it was a mere copy of freestyle wrestling. The first World Championship of female wrestling was held in Lorenskog (Norway) in 1987. Female wrestling was admitted for the first time in the Olympic programme on the occasion of the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.