TORINO – Today, October 26th, marked the first day of competitions at the 9th World University Wrestling Championship in Torino, Italy. The day started with the elimination rounds in the Free Style for 55-66-84 and 120 kg categories and final entries for the Free Style 60-74-96 and FW 51-67, medical examination and weigh-in for those categories.
In order to well understand what is wrestling, let us remember that this sport is the oldest competitive sport in the world. Indeed, this sport was the most popular event in the original Greek Olympic Games, and lists of Olympic wrestling winners have been recorded since 708 BC! One of the most famous wrestlers was the philosopher Plato. Plato means “broad shoulders”. At that time, the wrestlers were completely nude and covered with olive oil and very thin dust to protect from the sunshine. The event was held in an arena full of mud!
We also can find illustrations of wrestlers in hold and leverage positions in the caves of Southern Europe and in Egypt, paintings of wrestlers dating to approximately 2500 BC have been found in the tombs of kings!
Now things have changed, in Antique Greece, the wrestling competitions were so rough, being the last show in the Greek Olympic Games. The Romans, having taken a lot to the Greek wrestling, removed this brutality and that is why we call it nowadays Greco-Roman wrestling.
What marks the difference between Freestyle and Greco-Roman? In rules, it is almost identical, but Greco-Roman wrestlers must not use their legs to trip or to lift an opponent. Whatever the discipline is, wrestling is a sport requesting power and agility, but most of all, the respect of the opponent. Even if the struggle is sometimes really impressive, they are never dangerous as it is completely forbidden to hurt your opponent.
That is why this sport is quite unique and fascinating, as there is at the same time intimacy in the fight, the overpassing of the athlete on himself, but also her/his abilities to overpass her/his opponent.
So far, accreditation is still going on, with 270 participants from 26 countries accredited up to now.
A great buzz at the Organizing Committee office for the last preparations of the Opening Ceremony of today and the first awarding medals already later this evening.
(Source: Nicole Mangelschots FISU Asst. WUC)
