Wrestling dates back to early civilisations with evidence of competitions in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman societies. Wrestlers competed in the ancient Olympic Games with the most famous competitor being the mighty Milon of Kroton who was a six-time champion in the 6th century BC.

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.

Greco-Roman wrestling allows competitors to use only their arms to “attack” the upper bodies of their opponents. Freestyle wrestling allows competitors to use their arms and legs to perform holds on the whole body of their opponents. A wrestling bout comprises two three-minute periods, with a 30 second break. Wrestlers are awarded points from officials for technical manoeuvres against their opponent. The person who wins 2 out of 3 periods wins the bout. 

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. Australia has never won a Greco-Roman Olympic medal.

• Five minutes with John Saul
• Five minutes with John Saul
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• Five minutes with Australian Wrestling Champion, Ali Abdo
• Wrestlers Blitz Oceania Championships
• Wrestlers Blitz Oceania Championships