Olympics Previews, Obscure Edition: Wrestling

Published Aug 04 2012, 11:39 AM by Kendall Salter

^{See the rest of NBC.com's wrestling slideshow}.

Perhaps you find yourself caught in the middle of a slow stretch of Olympics coverage, in between the speed of Usain Bolt and the spectacular endurance of Michael Phelps. The only thing on is something obscure: fencing, horses, judo, etc. You have to watch. But what, exactly, should spectators be looking for? The Phoenix is here to help. And now: wrestling.

OK, it's debatable whether or not wrestling is obscure. Thousands of high school jocks participate every year. Small children learn how to wrestle on the living room floor during petty arguments. Physical, hand-to-hand combat is part of being human. But organize it, codify it, and create a formalized international competition and suddenly the masses no longer find much interest in watching. It looks hard to follow. It's quick, sweaty, and occasionally uncomfortable viewing.

But it harkens back to the good-old-days of Ancient Olympians past, so we ought to respect it.

Basics
First, there are weight classes. There is a reason for the phrase: "Pick on someone your own size!" Wrestling is on board with that sentiment. Second, there are two Olympic disciplines: Greco-Roman and freestyle. Greco-Roman allows wrestlers to use only their upper bodies to score points, whereas freestyle encourages a more liberal approach. A match consists of three periods of two minutes' duration. Women's wrestling became part of the Olympics in 2004.

Fun Facts
Wrestling has been featured at every Summer games except one -- 1900, in Paris. Wrestling suits must be either red or blue.

USA! USA!
The Americans are a traditionally dominant force in Olympic wrestling, tallying the most all-time medals with 122. That dominance, however, is largely due to American expertise in freestyle wrestling, where the U.S. has captured 46 gold medals. This Olympics is one for the young guys -- Jordan Burroughs is the one to watch.

The Favorites
The inexperienced Americans may struggle to reach previous levels of performance, but can not be counted out. Look for the Russian wrestlers to dominate the medal podium again in 2012.