Freestyle Wrestling - Women's Freestyle Wrestling

Women's Freestyle Wrestling

At the Collegiate, World, Olympic levels, women wrestle freestyle. During competition the wrestlers will either wear a red singlet or blue singlet depending on where they are placed in the bracket. All female competitors are required to wear a women’s cut singlet with proper fitting to minimize distracting incidents.

The United States is still behind Canada with regard to the acceptance of Women’s Wrestling. The USA struggles with implementing high school teams for girls. As a result, many high school girls participate on the boy’s team where they wrestle American Freestyle. However, the United States has made strides amongst universities boasting 14 schools registered on the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association website offering opportunities to continue wrestling while getting an education. Gator Wrestling Club, New York Athletic Club, Army World Class Athlete Program, and Sunkist Kids are domestic sponsors that support many of the nations top girls.

In addition to colleges and universities, there are programs like the Beat the Streets-Girls Wrestling Program. This organization is highly successful at targeting inner city kids and introducing them to the world of wrestling at no cost. Other notable organizations include Chick Wrestler, which was created in January 2012 to market and promote women’s wrestling at the Olympic Level.

Women’s wrestling made its Olympic Debut in Athens 2004. Typically the females have 7 weight classes (48 kg, 51 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 63 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg) that compete in a World Championships. Though, during the Olympic year, the weights are reduced to only 4 (48 kg, 55 kg, 63 kg, and 72 kg). Only one representative from each weight class is permitted to enter Olympic Competition.