It's a sport we don't often see on TV or in sports arenas. Yet it's one of the stars of the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games! Before the next edition of these Games, let's take a look at wrestling.
Wrestling is a very old sport, first mentioned in stories dating back to over 3,000 BC! As early as 708 BC, wrestling was included in the ancient Olympic Games in Greece. Which just goes to show how important a place wrestling occupies in this international competition!
Olympics Paris 2024: on which channel & at what time to follow the fight on TV for the Olympic Games
The Olympic Games are back! To follow the wrestling events at the Paris 2024 Olympics on TV, here's the detailed schedule and timetable, as well as the list of channels broadcasting the competition in France and around the world. [Read more]
Fans of combat sports and wrestling have a date from August 5 to 11, 2024 at the Arena Champ-de-Mars for an exceptional Olympic competition. If you weren't able to follow all the events, discover the winners day by day. [Read more]
This combat sport has been part of the modern Olympic Games since the first edition in 1896. At that time, athletes competed in Greco-Roman wrestling events, a form considered more noble as it was closer to ancient practices. It wasn't until the St. Louis Games (1904) that freestyle wrestling was added to the program, while women's events were not accepted until 2004. During the Paris Games, fans will be able to watch wrestling at the Grand Palais Éphémère ( also known as the Champ-de-Mars Arena), from August 5 to 11. Here are the details of the events:
Women's freestyle wrestling
Men's freestyle wrestling
Men's Greco-Roman wrestling
[midroll]
As far as we know, wrestling is one of the oldest sports. For the ancient Greeks, wrestling was a fundamental sport, providing training for young men and a source of honor for athletes. It was a brutal sport, with many injuries.
Over the centuries, wrestling gradually lost the interest of spectators, but retained its reputation as a noble discipline at the Olympic Games.
Wrestlers compete on a 12x12-meter mat. Athletes are divided into weight categories. A bout lasts six minutes, divided into two parts of three minutes each. To win, the opponent must be knocked down by holding his shoulders down for at least one second. It is also possible to win by accumulating as many points as possible, or by demonstrating technical superiority, while still having a lead in the score.
Wrestling is a bare-handed combat sport. However, there's no question of hitting, choking or keying your opponent, as in martial arts. The aim is to take your opponent to the mat with a fall. Freestyle wrestling allows actions on the whole body surface, while Greco-Roman wrestling forbids grabs below the belt.
To date, Russia (or, more precisely, the former Soviet Union) holds the most wrestling titles. Among the great wrestling nations are Iran, the USA and Georgia, as well as Japan, which stands out in women's wrestling.
Did you know?
The longest wrestling match ever lasted 11 hours and 40 minutes! In 1912, at the Stockholm Olympic Games, spectators witnessed an anthology semi-final between Estonia's Martin Klein and Finland's Alfred Asikainen. The two men battled it out for almost half a day.
Klein won the match, but was unable to fight the following day: he therefore left the Olympics with a silver medal - and a fight entered in the Guinness Book of Records.
Today, the duration of fights is regulated and considerably shortened.
France also has some wrestling champions in its ranks. Our medal hopes rest on the shoulders of Koumba Larroque (world vice-champion in the under-65kg category), Pauline Lecarpentier (-68kg, silver medallist at the 2022 European Championships), Kendra Dacher (-72kg women, bronze medallist at the 2022 European Championships) and Saifedine Alekma (-79kg freestyle wrestling, silver medallist at the 2021 European Wrestling Championships).
Monday August 5th
Tuesday, August 6
Wednesday, August 7th
Thursday, August 8
Friday, August 9
Saturday, August 10
Sunday, August 11
Thanks to the Olympic Games, have you developed a passion for this combat sport? Then it's time to start practicing! Find out about the clubs near you where you can take up freestyle or Greco-Roman wrestling.
Are you passionate about combat sports? Why not try wrestling? Here's a list of clubs in Paris and Île-de-France. [Read more]
Dates and Opening Time
From August 5, 2024 to August 11, 2024
Location
Grand Palais éphémère
Place Joffre
75007 Paris 7
Olympics Paris 2024: on which channel & at what time to follow the fight on TV for the Olympic Games
Paris 2024 Olympics - Wrestling: the French and international medalists: the victorious athletes.
