The 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) wrestling tournament will include three styles: men's Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling (men's and women's) and beach wrestling. The inaugural YOG will be held August 14-26, 2010 in Singapore.
Qualifying for the Wrestling Tournament at the YOG
To qualify for the wrestling tournaments at the YOG, athletes must place high enough at their respective qualifying tournament. Each qualifying tournament is allotted a specific number of qualifiers for the YOG. At the Pan American qualifying tournament, for example, only two men's freestyle wrestlers from each weight class, one Greco-Roman wrestler from each weight class and one women's freestyle wrestler from each weight class can qualify. There are a total of five continental qualifying tournaments for the YOG wrestling tournaments.
At the YOG wrestling tournaments, there are five weight classes for Greco-Roman wrestling, five weight classes for men's freestyle wrestling and four weight classes for women's freestyle wrestling.
Only five wrestlers from any country can compete in the YOG, with a maximum of two Greco-Roman wrestlers, two men's freestyle wrestlers and one women's wrestler representing each country. Wrestlers can only compete in one discipline, so an athlete may not qualify for both the Greco-Roman and freestyle tournament.
The beach wrestling tournament will be open to all YOG athletes from all sports. There is no qualifier for the beach wrestling tournament.
Greco-Roman Wrestling, Freestyle Wrestling, Women's Wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling and women's wrestling each are different disciplines within the same sport. In freestyle wrestling, all parts of the body can be used to complete moves and score points. In Greco-Roman wrestling, a competitor cannot use their legs to trip or hook and cannot use hands and arms below the waist of their opponent. Freestyle wrestling is the only discipline in which women compete.
In beach wrestling, athletes compete in a 20-foot circle to try to take the other athlete to their back. The discipline is not included in the Olympic Games.
Youth Sports to be Showcased at YOG in Singapore
The YOG are the first new Games introduced by the International Olympic Committee in more than 80 years. The concept was first introduced by IOC President Jacques Rogge in 2001, and the YOG crossed from a concept to an international event in 2007.
In total, 26 youth sports will be contested at the YOG in Singapore, and about 3,500 athletes from 205 countries will compete in the Games. To compete in the YOG, athletes must be 14-18 years old.
The 2010 YOG are the first in an event that will take every two years. The first winter YOG will be held in 2012 in Innsbruck, Austria. The 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games will be held in Nanjing, China.
Learn how to purchase tickets to the Youth Olympic Games.
References:
Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Website. www.singapore2010.com. Accessed April 28, 2010.
Youth Olympic Games. www.olympic.org. Accessed April 28, 2010.
Sieracki, Samantha. Wrestling: Top U.S. stars at the Pan Am Youth Olympic Games Qualifier in Monterrey, Mexico May 3-6. USA Wrestling. April 29, 2010.
Kristen Nichols - Kristen is a freelance reporter and copywriter covering Olympic and Paralympic sport for Suite101.com. Kristen's love of sport developed ...
