At Tokyo 2020, wrestling provided excitement and unforgettable drama, with highlights that included American David Taylor’s great comeback in the final seconds to win his first gold medal, Cuban superstar Mijain Lopez Nunez's historic fourth Olympic title, and the first-ever Olympic Wrestling medals for Nigeria and San Marino.
Expect more action-packed events in the qualifiers for the upcoming Paris Games. But first, find out the answers to the main questions about the qualification process for Paris 2024.
How many athletes will compete in Wrestling at Paris 2024?
In total, 288 athletes will compete in the Paris 2024 wrestling competition: 192 men and 96 women - exactly the same amount as the previous Games.
No spots will be allocated to the host country for wrestling and quota places are allocated to National Olympic Committees (NOCs) with a maximum number of 18 (one per event).
What is the wrestling qualification pathway to Paris 2024?
All of the 288 quotas will be allocated during three phases.
Phase 1: 2023 Senior World Championships
Five quotas for each of the 18 Olympic weight categories - a total of 90 quotas - will be allocated at the 2023 Senior World Championships. The four medallists (gold, silver, bronze and bronze) from the 18 categories at this event will each obtain one quota place for their NOC. Plus, a bout between the two losers of the bronze medal matches will take place and the winner will obtain the last quota.
Phase 2: 2024 Continental Qualification Tournaments
144 quotas will be defined by the 2024 Continental Qualification Tournaments. Each Continent will organise a specific Olympic Qualification Tournament with the exception of Oceania and Africa that will have a joint Qualification Tournament.
The two highest-placed athletes at each Continental Qualification tournament in each of the 18 Olympic weight categories will obtain one quota place each for their NOC.
Phase 3: 2024 World Qualification Tournament
The last 54 quotas will be decided at the 2024 World Qualification Tournament. The two highest-ranked athletes in each of the 18 Olympic weight categories will obtain one quota place each for their NOC. In addition, a bout will be organised between the two third-placed athletes and the winner of that bout will also obtain one quota place for his/her NOC.
What is the Paris 2024 wrestling competition format and schedule?
The Paris 2024 wrestling competition will take place between 5-11 August at the Champ de Mars Arena, which is the same venue as the judo competition.
There are two styles of wrestling, Greco-Roman and Freestyle, and a total of 18 events will be held at Paris 2024, which is the same amount as Tokyo 2020.
- Women’s Freestyle events: 50kg, 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 68kg, 76kg
- Men’s Greco-Roman events: 60kg, 67kg, 77kg, 87kg, 97kg, 130kg
- Men’s Freestyle events: 57kg, 65kg, 74kg, 86kg, 97kg, 125kg
The competitions feature a direct elimination system. Two bronze medals will be awarded via the repechage process, which wrestlers who lose against the finallists take part in.
READ MORE: The competition schedule for Olympic Games Paris 2024 has been released
Wrestlers to watch at Paris 2024
While the Cuban star Mijain Lopez Nunez, who became the second wrestler in history to win four Olympic wrestling gold medals at the age of 38 in Tokyo, hasn't clarified whether he will compete in Paris, many of the Tokyo 2020 finalists will be aiming for gold at the Games.
After his dramatic late comeback against Iranian Hassan Yazdani in the men's freestyle 86kg final, Team USA's David Taylor will attempt to defend his title. However, the silver medallist won't be easy to defeat, as his record as a three-time world champion and Rio 2016 gold medallist in the event testifies.
The Rio 2016 gold medallist Kyle Snyder will also be a one to watch. The American lost in the final of the freestyle 97kg at Tokyo and will be hoping to regain the title at Paris 2024.
Since the women's competitions were introduced to the Olympic programme in 2004, Japanese athletes have dominated. At Tokyo 2020, they won four of the six golds on offer, including those won by the Kawai Yukako and Risako sisters in 62kg and 57kg respectively. The double Olympic champion Risako gave birth to her first baby in May 2022 and, if she returns to the mat, will once again be a favourite at Paris 2024.
Tamyra Mensah-Stock, the first-ever black female to win Olympic gold medal in wrestling, will also be a strong contender in the women's 68kg category.
The Tokyo wrestling competitions saw two medallists from countries that had never won any medals in the sport. One was Nigeria's Blessing Oborududu, who won silver in the women's 68kg, and the other was San Marino's Myles Nazem Amine, who won bronze in the men's 86kg. Both athletes will be hoping for more of the same at Paris 2024.
Wrestling qualification timelines for Paris 2024
16 September 2023 - 12 May 2024: Qualifying Period**
28 March - 02 April 2023**: Asian Championships, TBD ***
17-23 April 2023**: European Championships, Zagreb (CRO) ***
04-07 May 2023**: Pan-American Championships, Buenos Aires (ARG) ***
16-21 May 2023**: African Championships, Tunis (TUN) ***
26-28 May 2023**: Oceania Championships, TBD ***
16-24 September 2023**: 2023 World Championships, Krasnoyarsk (RUS)**
27 September 2023**: UWW confirms in writing to the NOCs the quota places obtained.**
08 October 2023**: The NOCs to confirm to UWW the use of the allocated quota places.**
26-28 January 2024**: Oceania Championships, TBD ****
06-11 February 2024**: African Championships, Cairo (EGY) ****
12-18 February 2024**: European Championships, Bucharest (ROU) ****
27 February - 03 March 2024**: Asian Championships. TBD ****
07-10 March 2024**: Pan-American Championships, TBD ****
22-24 March 2024**: African & Oceania Qualifying Tournament, TBD**
27 March 2024**: UWW confirms in writing to the NOCs the quota places obtained at the African & Oceania Qualifying Tournament**
04-07 April 2024**: European Qualifying Tournament, TBD**
07 April 2024**: The NOCs to confirm to UWW the use of the allocated quota places at the African & Oceania Qualifying Tournament**
10 April 2024**: UWW confirms in writing to the NOCs the quota places obtained at the European Qualifying Tournament**
12-14 April 2024**: Asian Qualifying Tournament, TBD**
17 April 2024**: UWW confirms in writing to the NOCs the quota places obtained at the Asian Qualifying Tournament**
19-21 April 2024**: Pan-American Qualifying Tournament, TBD**
21 April 2024**: The NOCs to confirm to UWW the use of the allocated quota places at the European Qualifying Tournament**
24 April 2024**: UWW confirms in writing to NOCs the quota places obtained at the Pan-American Qualifying Tournament**
28 April 2024**: The NOCs to confirm to UWW the use of the allocated quota places at the Asian Qualifying Tournament**
05 May 2024**: The NOCs to confirm to UWW the use of the allocated quota places at the Pan-American Qualifying Tournament**
09-12 May 2024**: World Qualifying Tournament, TBD**
15 May 2024**: UWW confirms in writing to NOCs the quota places obtained at the World Qualifying Tournament**
26 May 2024**: The NOCs to confirm to UWW the use of the allocated quota places at the World Qualifying Tournament
Date: The Tripartite Commission to confirm in writing the allocation of Universality Places to the NOCs (where applicable).**
June 2024**: UWW to reallocate all unused quota**
8 July 2024**: Paris 2024 Sport Entries deadline**
26 July - 11 August 2024**: Olympic Games Paris 2024
*The 2023 above mentioned Senior Continental Championships are not qualifying events for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, but only NOCs/NFs who took part in these Championships will be able to participate in the 2023 Senior World Championships (1st phase) with the same number of athletes per style.
**The 2024 above mentioned Senior Continental Championships are not qualifying events for the Olympics Games Paris 2024, but only NOCs/NFs who took part in these Championships with be able to participate in the Continental Qualification tournaments with the same number of athletes per style.
Find out moreabout the qualification system for other sports that will feature at Paris 2024.
