Wrestling factbox for Athens 2004

ATHENS, July 13 (Reuters) -- Factbox on wrestling at the August 13-29 Athens Olympics:

HISTORY

Wrestling was one of the most popular sports in ancient Greece and was on the programme of the first ancient Olympic Games in 776 BC.

Organisers of the first modern Olympics in 1896 wanted a link with the ancient Games and so included Greco-Roman wrestling, without any weight category specifications. Matches were held in an outdoor sandpit and the winner, German Carl Schuhmann, also won three gold medals in the gymnastics and placed fourth in the shot put.

Freestyle, popular in Britain and the United States, was added for the St Louis Games in 1904.

The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) was founded in 1912.

In the modern era, the sport's biggest name has been Alexander Karelin, who dominated the 130-kg category in the Greco-Roman style. Before being defeated by Rulon Gardner of the United States at the Sydney Games, Karelin had been unbeaten for 13 years and had won three gold medals.

A maximum weight limit of 130 kg was imposed for the first time at the 1988 Seoul Games.

Women's wrestling is being included in Athens for the first time and the men's events are being reduced from eight to seven categories.

EVENTS

Men's freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling will be contested in seven weight classes in Athens -- 55kg, 60kg, 66kg, 74kg, 84kg, 96kg and 120kg.

Women's freestyle wrestling will join the Olympic programme for the first time, with classes at 48kg, 55kg, 63kg and 72kg.

Matches in both styles consist of two, three-minute parts, with a 30-second interval.

In Greco-Roman, wrestlers use arms and upper bodies to attack. In freestyle, wrestlers can hold their opponents above and below the waist and can trip them.

2000 CHAMPIONS

Greco-Roman

54 kg: Sim Kwon-ho (South Korea)

58 kg: Armen Nazarian (Bulgaria)

63 kg: Varteres Samourgachev (Russia)

69 kg: Filiberto Azcuy (Cuba)

76 kg: Mourat Kardanov (Russia)

85 kg: Hamza Yerlikaya (Turkey)

97 kg: Mikael Ljungberg (Sweden)

130 kg: Rulon Gardner (U.S.)

Freestyle

54 kg: Namig Abdullayev (Azerbaijan)

58 kg: Alireza Dabir (Iran)

63 kg: Mourad Oumakhanov (Russia)

69 kg: Daniel Igali (Canada)

76 kg: Brandon Slay (U.S.)

85 kg: Adam Saitiev (Russia)

97 kg: Saghid Mourtasaliyev (Russia)

130 kg: David Moussoulbes (Russia)

OLYMPIC PROGRAMME

August 22: Women's freestyle elimination matches

August 23: Women's freestyle qualifications, semi-finals and

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finals

August 24: Greco-Roman elimination matches and

qualifications

August 25: Greco-Roman elimination matches and semi-finals

Finals in 55kg, 66kg, 84kg and 120kg

August 26: Greco-Roman qualifications and semi-finals

Finals in 60kg, 74kg and 96kg

August 27: Men's freestyle elimination matches and

qualifications

August 28: Men's freestyle elimination matches and

semi-finals

Finals in 55kg, 66kg, 84kg and 120kg

August 29: Men's freestyle qualifications and semi-finals

Finals in 60kg, 74kg and 96kg

VENUE

Ano Liossia Olympic Hall in northwest Athens, which will

seat 9,000.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

www.fila-wrestling.com

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