Wrestling at Paris 2024 Olympics: Preview, full schedule and how to watch live
Picture by GETTY IMAGES
Wrestling at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will feature 290 athletes from 63 countries.
The Champ de Mars Arena, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, will host the action from 5-11 August.
Men will compete in freestyle and Greco-Roman, while women will compete for Olympic glory in freestyle.
The United States is sending its largest contingent ever with 16 quotas, followed by Japan's 13, and Azerbaijan and the People's Republic of China with 12.
Below, we take a closer look at the wrestling stars to watch out for in Paris, a full schedule, and how to watch the action.
Freestyle wrestling stars to watch at Paris 2024 Olympics
The U.S. wrestling team for Paris 2024 could be one of their strongest ever.
It's headed up by Rio 2016 97kg freestyle champ Kyle Snyder, who returns for his third Games, and Kyle Dake at freestyle 74kg, who is chasing the only accolade missing from his outstanding resume: Olympic gold.
Also keep an eye out for Aaron Brooks, who caused a shock at the US Trials when he eliminated 86kg freestyle reigning Olympic champion David Taylor.
The men's125kg freestyle favourite is Islamic Republic of Iran grappler Amir Zare. After winning bronze at Tokyo 2020, the superheavyweight won World titles in 2021 and 2023, and has made the division his own.
Japan dominates women's wrestling, and three-time 57kg world champion Sakurai Tsugumi is one of their top favourites to win in Paris.
However, Tsugumi's compatriot, 50kg defending Olympic champion Susaki Yui, is perhaps an even stronger shout for gold, having not lost an international major match since 2010.
The U.S. have their best chance of victory in the women's categories through 68kg favourite Amit Elor, who at just 20-years-old is already a two-time world champion and the youngest woman to ever make her nation's Olympic wrestling team.
Kyle Snyder during the men's wrestling freestyle 97Kg final at the Santiago 2023 Pan Am Games (Photo by Getty Images)
Greco-Roman wrestling stars to watch at Paris 2024 Olympics
Cuba's Mijain Lopez will try to make history in the French capital as the first summer Olympian ever to win five-consecutive gold medals in the same event.
The 41-year-old isn't seeded in the 130kg category, but knows how to produce his best form on the biggest stage and certainly has a chance.
Standing in his way is reigning world champion Amin Mirzazadeh of the Islamic Republic of Iran who was just 10 when Lopez won his first gold at Beijing 2008.
In the 97kg bracket, Artur Aleksanyan, who won gold at Rio 2016, silver at Tokyo 2020, and bronze at London 2012, isn't showing any signs of slowing down after clinching silver at last year's Worlds.
If all goes to plan, we could see an epic semi-final clash featuring the Armenian and Cuba's Gabriel Rosillo, who won the 2023 world title.
Zholaman Sharshenbekov battled to victory in a stacked 60kg bracket at the 2023 Worlds, and the man from Kyrgyzstan will take some stopping as he bids to become his nation's first Olympic gold medallist.
But he will have to be at his best to beat Japanese two-time world champion Fumita Kenichiro, who will want to avenge his loss to Sharshenbekov in last year's World final.
Full wrestling schedule at Olympic Games 2024
Wrestling is due to take place from 5-11 August during Paris 2024. Click here for a detailed schedule.
How to watch Paris 2024 wrestling live
All the action from Paris 2024, including wrestling, can be watched via media rights holders (MRHs).
Check out the listings for your local broadcaster here.
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