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Wrestling

Both wrestling disciplines, Greco-Roman and freestyle, will be fought out on the mats at the China Agriculture University Gymnasium only two kilometres to the west of the Olympic Green. Ali Abdo was Australia’s sole wrestler in Athens. Abdo is going for his third Games in Beijing.

Australia and Wrestling

Three Australians have won medals in freestyle events at the Olympics. In Los Angeles in 1932, Eddie Scarf was third in the light-heavyweight division. Twelve years later in London, Dick Garrard won a silver medal as a welterweight and Jim Armstrong won a bronze medal in the heavyweight division. Garrard is the only wrestler to be inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Chris Brown competed at four Olympics as a freestyle wrestler. Australia has never won a Greco-Roman Olympic medal.

Olympic History

Some form of wrestling has featured at every modern Olympic Games, except for Paris 1900. Greco-Roman wrestling has been on every Olympic program except Paris (1900) and St Louis (1904). Freestyle wrestling, which rose to popularity in Great Britain and the United States in the 19th century, made its Olympic debut in St Louis and since then has only missed being an Olympic sport in Stockholm in 1912.

Women competed in wrestling for the first time at the 2004 Athens Olympics, in four freestyle weight categories.

Gold Medal Winners at the Past Three Olympic Games

Click here for a complete document of winners from Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.

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AUS Historic Medal Tally

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* Medal tally prior to 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Wrestling Bios

Ali Abdo of Australia competes with Salvatore Rinella of Italy during the men's Freestyle wrestling 74 kg elimination round on August 28, 2004 during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. (Photo: Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

Read the biographies of the four athletes named in the wrestling section.More

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