Factbox on wrestling

The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) was founded in 1912.

Wrestling was one of the most popular sports in ancient Greece and was on the programme of the first ancient Olympic games in 776BC. Organisers of the first modern Olympics in 1896 wanted a link with the ancient Games and included Greco-Roman wrestling, without any weight category specifications. Matches were held in an outdoor sandpit and the winner, the German Carl Schuhmann, also won three gold medals in the gymnastics and placed fourth in the shot. Freestyle, popular in Britain and the United States, was added for the St Louis Games in 1904. The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) was founded in 1912. In the modern era, the sport's biggest name has been Alexander Karelin who dominated the 130kg category in the Greco-Roman style. Before being defeated by Rulon Gardner of the United States at the Sydney Games, Karelin had been undefeated for 13 years and had won three gold medals. A maximum weight limit of 130kg was imposed for the first time at the 1988 Seoul Games. Women's wrestling was introduced in Athens in 2004.

Men's freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling will be contested in seven weight classes ? 55kg, 60kg, 66kg, 74kg, 84kg, 96kg and 120kg. Women's freestyle wrestling will have classes at 48kg, 55kg, 63kg and 72kg. Bouts in both styles consist of three, two-minute parts, with a 30-second interval. In Greco-Roman, wrestlers use arms and upper bodies to attack. In freestyle, wrestlers can hold their opponents above and below the waist and can trip them.

There will be a total of 260 athletes ? 266 men, 64 women.

Men Greco-Roman 55kg: Istvan Majoros (Hungary) 60kg: Jung Ji-hyun (South Korea) 66kg: Farid Mansurov (Azerbaijan) 74kg: Alexandr Dokturishivili (Uzbekistan) 84kg: Alexei Michine (Russia) 96kg: Karam Ibrahim (Egypt) 120kg: Khasan Baroev (Russia) Freestyle 55kg: Mavlet Batirov (Russia) 60kg: Yandro Miguel Quintana (Cuba) 66kg: Elbrus Tedeyev (Ukraine) 74kg: Buvaysa Saytiev (Russia) 84kg: Cael Sanderson (USA) 96kg: Khadjimourat Gatsalov (Russia) 120kg: Artur Taymazov (Uzbekistan) Women Freestyle 48kg: Irini Merleni (Ukraine) 55kg: Saori Yoshida (Japan) 63kg: Kaori Icho (Japan) 72kg: Xu Wang (China)

Aug. 12 ? men's Greco-Roman 55 and 60kg Aug. 13 ? men's Greco-Roman 66 and 75 Aug. 14 ? men's Greco-Roman 84, 96 and 120 Aug. 16 ? women's freestyle 48 and 55 Aug. 17 ? women's freestyle 63 and 72 Aug. 19 ? men's freestyle 55 and 60 Aug. 20 ? men's freestyle 66 and 74 Aug. 21 ? men's freestyle 84, 96 and 120

China Agriculture University Gymnasium

*Reuters