Women's Freestyle Wrestling

Women’s freestyle wrestling made its Olympic debut at the 2004 Summer Games.  The freestyle wrestling program at the United States Olympic Education Center was created on the heels of those Games and is the newest addition to the USOEC. 

Due to the small number of female wrestling programs in the United States, the resident athlete program at the USOEC has attracted Olympic-aspiring female wrestlers from across the country.  There are typically 14-20 resident athletes participating on the team annually and they train in the wrestling gym on the second floor of Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome.

The freestyle program has had several standout wrestlers in the Olympic and world levels. In 2010, Jenna Burkert represented the U.S. in the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. Wrestling at 59 kilograms, Burkert placed fifth overall.  In addition to freestyle wrestling, Burkert participated in beach wrestling and earned a bronze medal.

In 2008, resident athlete Randi Miller competed at the Olympic Games in China.  Wrestling at 63 kilogram weight class, Miller earned a bronze medal in the Games. Miller was also named U.S.A. Wrestling Female of the Year. 

At the World level,in 2011, former resident athlete Adeline Gray placed third at the Senior World Championships while Helen Maroulis placed fifth.

In 2009, Gray placed fifth at the Senior World Championships. Gray along with Maroulis were selected to represent the U.S. at the Team World Cup in China. Also in the same year, Vonnie Carlson wrestled at the Junior World Championships receiving the bronze medal.

At the 2011 Junior World Championships, Erin Golston placed third with Jenna Burkert and Carlene Sluberski also competing.

Kim Speigel placed second at the 2011 Junior Pan-American Games.

Wrestling in Nicaragua, Carlene Sluberski brought home the silver medal at the Junior Pan-American Games in 2010.

Freestyle wrestling is the most popular style of wrestling in the world.  Though the ancient Greeks trained young women in wrestling, women were not allowed to take part in the ancient Olympic Games.  The first ever Women's World Championship was held in Norway in 1987.  The growth of the sport world-wide led to the inclusion of female wrestling in the 2004 Athens Games.  Currently 85 out of 140 Olympic affiliated countries practice women's freestyle wrestling.

Freestyle wrestling is similar to the "folkstyle" wrestling popular in American schools and universities, but with different scoring, match procedures, and strategies.  Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling place little emphasis on control, while folkstyle, control is very important.  In freestyle wrestling, wrestlers are brought to their feet after about 15 seconds of no scoring from the mat.  Since control isn't important, the bottom wrestler isn't expected to do anything but defend their position.

Another difference related to control is the ability in freestyle wrestling to score points without having control of your opponent.  Some moves such as tilts, front headlocks from the knees, and crotch lifts while under attack can score continuously without ever gaining control.

The match starts with the wrestlers standing on their feet.  The wrestlers attempt to take their opponent down to the mat to score points.  Wrestling also occurs down on the mat, known as "par terre".  If no points are scored after 15 seconds, the referee will stop the match and bring both wrestlers back to their feet.

The main objective in wrestling is to pin your opponent.  This is achieved by holding her shoulder blades to the mat for about one-half of a second.  The pin automatically ends the match.  A pin is also known as a fall.

Points are awarded for performing techniques or moves within the rules.  One point is awarded for a takedown when an opponent goes from their feet to the mat.  If the opponent falls directly to their back from the standing position, three-points are awarded.

A five-point takedown, although rare, can be scored for a "grand amplitude" throw.  This maneuver will end the period of a match.

Tactics and strategies are an integral part of the sport.

When wrestling in the par terre position, if an opponent has their back exposed to the mat at an angle less than 45 degrees, two-points are awarded.  If the wrestler who has control can hold their opponent on their back for at least five seconds without scoring a fall, one point is scored.

The duration of the match is divided into three periods of two minutes each with a break of 30 seconds given between each period.  The wrestler who wins two periods is declared the winner of a match.  If the victory can be declared after two periods, the period is suppressed.  A fall automatically ends the match regardless of the period in which it occurs.

At the end of each bout, the arm of the winning athlete is raised.  The wrestlers shake hands with the referee and with their opponent, then with the mat chairman and the judge.

Wrestling is contested on a mat, with a nine-meter circular competition area.  There is also a one-meter protection border on all international mats.  There is a band, a one-meter passivity "zone" on the outside of the edge of the competition circle.  This is close to the mat edge, and an area where wrestlers start being encouraged by officials to move to the center of the mat.  The official will indicate using the term "zone," plus the color of the offender if wrestlers move into the zone.

If a wrestler unintentionally steps out-of-bounds, or is pushed out of the zone, one-point is awarded.

There are three officials for every international style wrestling match, a referee (on the mat) plus a chairman and a judge.  The judge sits directly across from the chairman, and indicates by a scoring paddle how they interpret each scoring move.

The official awards points on a majority vote.  At least two of the three officials must agree on technical points and falls.  It is the chairs decision on a score only when the referee and judge differ in their calls.  The chair may, however, request a conference when there is a question on the score.

For a fall to be scored there must be an agreement between two of the three officials.  The confirming officials does not need to see the call, only agree that the referee was in the correct position to see the fall.

The women's freestyle wrestling team is coached by Shannyn Gilliespie who has produced U.S. world team members at the FILA-Junior, University and Senior level.  Five members of the 2006 U.S. Women's National Team are current or former USOEC resident-athletes.