There are 18 Olympic events.  Men’s events are divided into freestyle and Greco-Roman while the women compete only in freestyle.  All events are designated by the upper weight limit of the athletes permitted in each class as the international governing body FILA does not use terminology such as lightweight and heavyweight.

MENS                                                                                           WOMENS

Free                                           Greco-Roman                              Free

55kg (under from 55kg)          55kg (under from 55kg)               48kg (under 48kg)
60kg (from 55kg to 60kg)        60kg (from 55kg to 60kg)            55kg (from 48kg to 55kg)
66kg (from 60kg to 66kg)        66kg (from 60kg to 66kg)            63kg (from 55kg to 63kg)
74kg (from 66kg to 74kg)        74kg (from 66kg to 74kg)            72kg (from 63kg to 72kg)
84kg (from 74kg to 84kg)        84kg (from 74kg to 84kg)                   
96kg (from 84kg to 96kg)        96kg (from 84kg to 96kg)
120kg (from 96kg to 120kg)    120kg (from 96kg to 120kg) 

While the rules for the two styles are virtually identical, the main difference is that in Greco-Roman, a wrestler can't attack below the waist, nor use his own legs to trip or lift or execute other holds.  In freestyle, both the arms and legs are used to execute holds. Women's wrestling follows the rules of freestyle wrestling, with one exception: neck holds (double nelsons) are strictly forbidden.

Wrestling is one of seven sports taking place at ExCeL (Exhibition Centre London), one of Europe's largest and most versatile exhibition spaces.

London 2012 Storylines:
A pair of Japanese women, Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho, head to the Games looking for their third straight Olympic gold medals.  That would tie them with a group of five men who hold the all-time record of winning three career gold medals.

Iran has won 32 of its 48 Olympic medals in wrestling, but only two have come in Greco-Roman events, the last in Munich 1972.  Hamid Soryan looks to change that in the 55kg weight class as he heads to London as a multiple World Champion.

Canada's Outlook:
Canada's best medal hopes in London lie with the women's team.  Carol Huynh heads to the Games as the defending Olympic Champion the 48kg weight class, having won Canada's first gold medal in Beijing 2008.

Tonya Verbeek is looking to add to her two Olympic medals, having won silver in Athens 2004 and bronze in Beijing 2008, both in the 55kg weight class.  Martine Dugrenier has won three World titles in the 67kg weight class, but because that is not an Olympic event she will be in a fight with Justine Bouchard for the lone berth in the 63kg weight class.  Dugrenier finished fifth in 63kg in Beijing 2008 while Bouchard won bronze at the 2009 World Championships.

The top Canadian man is Haislan Garcia, who competes in 66kg freestyle.  After finishing 16th in his Olympic debut in Beijing 2008, he moved up to tie for fifth at the 2010 World Championships.

Other International Athletes to Follow:

MEN

Freestyle

Besik Kudukhov– Russia (60kg)

• Won the 2008 Olympic bronze in the 55kg weight class
• Moved up to compete in 60kg at the 2009 and 2010 World Championships, winning gold both times

Sushil Kumar – India (66kg)

• Won bronze in Beijing 2008 for India's first Olympic wrestling medal since Helsinki 1952
• In 2010 he won gold at both the Asian Championships and World Championships

Khetag Gazumov – Azerbaijan (96kg)

• Won bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games
• Won the World title in 2010 after taking silver in 2009 and was crowned European Champion in both years

Beylal Makhov – Russia (120kg)

• Has won five straight World titles, the first two in junior in 2005 and 2006 followed by senior victories in 2007, 2009 and 2010
• Will be 24-years-old when he makes his Olympic debut in London 2012

Greco-Roman

Hamid Soryan – Iran (55kg)

• A five-time World Champion (2005-07, 2009-10), he won his first World title just a few months after winning the 2005 World Junior title
• Finished 5th in his Olympic debut in Beijing 2008

Selcuk Cebi – Turkey (74kg)

• Began competing in this weight class in 2009 and has won back-to-back World titles in 2009 and 2010
• Will be 30-years-old when he makes his Olympic debut in London 2012

Mijain Lopez – Cuba (120kg)

• Was his country's Opening Ceremony flagbearer in Beijing 2008 and went on to win Olympic gold
• Has won four World titles (2005, 2007, 2009-10) as well as a World silver medal in 2006

WOMEN

Saori Yoshida – Japan (55kg)

• The world's most dominant female wrestler who at one point had a 119-match international winning streak
• Has never lost a match at the Olympic Games or world championships, winning Olympic gold in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 as well as eight World titles (2002-03, 2005-10)

Kaori Icho – Japan (63kg)

• Won Olympic gold in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 to go with her six World titles (2002-03, 2005-07, 2010)
• One half of the world's most famous pair of wrestling sisters, her older sister Chiharu Icho is a two-time Olympic silver medallist at 48kg

Stanka Zlateva – Bulgaria (72kg)

• Won Olympic silver in Beijing 2008
• Has won four World titles (2006-08, 2010) to go with a bronze medal in 2009 and is a five-time European Champion (2006-10)