Wrestling in the United States


Wrestling in the United States has a strong regional following in the country especially the Amateur sports scene.

History

Freestyle wrestling was introduced in 1904 and was only disputed by American wrestlers. Free style wrestling had far less history and tradition compared to Greco-Roman but possessed great popularity and developed into a form of entertainment which was performed at fairs and festivals across the United States.'''

National Governing board

USA wrestling is the national governing for wrestling in the United States. It is also the representative to the UWW which is the international federation for wrestling and the USOC. USA wrestling consists of over 233,000 members which includes numerous age ranges, coaches, and officials. It is divided into State Associations where each state has its own set of bylaws for which it operates. USA wrestling is accountable for the assortment of contestants to represent the United States in the Olympic and World competitions.

Olympics

The United States is a powerhouse at Wrestling at the Summer Olympics winning 54 gold medals, 43 silvers and 35 bronzes winning 132 medals. In the 2000 Summer Olympics, taken place in Sydney, American wrestler Rulon Gardner beat three-time champion Aleksandr Karelin to take home the Gold.