Where does this come from, and can I check it?

It appeared in 708 BC and has been on the modern programme since 1896. The figure is taken from United World Wrestling, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a sports fact?

Yes. It sits on the Sports shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Wrestling was in the first ancient Olympics

It appeared in 708 BC and has been on the modern programme since 1896 Greco-Roman wrestling featured at the first modern Games in Athens in 1896 and has missed only one Olympics since. Freestyle arrived in 1904. The sport was nearly dropped after 2012, and the decision was reversed in 2013 after a campaign by the wrestling community. It sits in Mondo's sports collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

United World Wrestling

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Sports trivia

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Greco-Roman wrestlers cannot attack the legsHolds below the waist are illegal, which is the main difference from freestyle A wrestling mat has a 9-metre circleThe mat is 12 metres square, with the contest held inside the inner circle A fall ends a wrestling bout immediatelyHolding both shoulders on the mat for about a second wins it The marathon is 42.195 km because of a royal viewThe odd distance comes from the 1908 London Olympics course The Olympic rings stand for five continentsPierre de Coubertin introduced the symbol in 1913 China has won most Olympic table tennis goldsThe sport joined the Games in 1988 and China has taken the large majority of titles

Tags: wrestling, olympics, history

Wrestling was in the first ancient Olympics: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: It appeared in 708 BC and has been on the modern programme since 1896. The figure is taken from United World Wrestling, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a sports fact?: Yes. It sits on the Sports shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.