Greco Roman wrestling Tickets

Greco Roman wrestling is approach of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. It was challenged at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are keep count for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can be ended early by a pinfall. This style of wrestling forbids holds below the waist which is the main dissimilarity between Greco Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling which is the other form of wrestling at the Olympics. This limitations results in an stress on throws, since a wrestler cannot use trips to obtain an opponent to the ground or shun throws by hooking or grabbing their challenger’s leg.

The name "Greco-Roman" was applied to this style of wrestling as a way of maintaining it to be similar to the wrestling formerly found in the ancient civilizations nearby the Mediterranean Sea. It is wonderd that many styles of European folk wrestling may have encouraged the origins of Greco-Roman wrestling. According to FILA, a Napoleonic soldier named Jean Exbrayat first developed the style. Exbrayat performed in fairs and called his style of wrestling "flat hand wrestling" to distinguish it from other forms of hand-to-hand combat that allowed striking.

In 1848, Exbrayat recognized the rule that no holds below the waist were to be allowed; neither were painful holds or torsions that would hurt the challenger. "Flat hand wrestling" or "French wrestling" developed all throughout Europe and became a popular sport. The Italian wrestler Basilio Bartoletti first coined the term "Greco-Roman" for the sport to underline the interest in "ancient values. Professional matches in Greco-Roman wrestling were known for their great viciousness. Body slams, choke-holds, and head-butting was allowed, and even caustic substances were used to weaken the opponent. By the end of the nineteenth century, gouging with the nails, punching, and violently slamming the arms together around the opponent's stomach were forbidden. Greco-Roman matches were also famous for their length.

In Olympic competition, countries of the former Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Turkey, South Korea, Romania, Japan, Sweden, and Finland have had great success. Carl Westergren of Sweden won three Greco Roman gold medals in 1920, 1924, and 1932, and was the first Greco-Roman wrestler to do so. Alexander Karelin did the same in 1988, 1992, and 1996. Ivar Johansson of Sweden won gold medals in Greco Roman in 1932 and 1936 and also a gold medal in freestyle in 1932.

The United States Olympic delegation first entered Greco-Roman wrestling in 1952 and has taken three gold medals, won by Steve Fraser and Jeffrey Blatnick in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, and by Rulon Gardner at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Wrestling Greco Roman competition can be watched at ExCel from 5 August to 12 August in London 2012 Olympics. 344 athletes will be taking part in the competition and 18 medal events are on the line. Olympic Wrestling Greco Roman Tickets are available at Sport Ticket Exchange at very reasonable price. Sport Ticket Exchange fast and secure source for buying and selling sport tickets especially Olympic Tickets.