Competitive Balance: Freestyle versus Greco

[quanon 161]

From 2002-2013:

 

The total number of competitors in both styles was roughly equal, from the world championships that I've looked at.

 

In Freestyle: 26 Countries produced medalists, and 15 produced champions.

In Greco-Roman: 38 Countries produced medalists, and 22 produced champions.

 

Top ten medal-producing countries in freestyle:

Russia 60

Iran 35

Georgia 24

Ukraine 23

Cuba 23

USA 21

Azerbaijan 21

Uzbekistan 19

Bulgaria 12

Japan 12

12 countries produced ten or more medals.

 

Top ten medal-producing countries in Greco:

Russia 45

Iran 25

Turkey 25

Cuba 18

South Korea 17

Azerbaijan 16

Hungary 14

Armenia 13

Kazakhstan 13

Bulgaria 13

14 countries produced ten or more medals.

 

Bolded countries were top ten in both freestyle and Greco.

Every top ten country, in either style, produced medalists in the other style.

[HuskyHero133 51]

The # of competitors at the worlds was equal, that wasn't surprising I don't think. I would be curious on numbers of competitors of each style in each country at their trials. Before it gets squeezed down to the very best of the best going to Worlds/Olympics.

[DF 178]

Greco is not as competitive as freestyle. It's a myth that's been propagated by greco wrestlers, much like the myth that the best wrestlers in other countries go into greco rather than freestyle. Like they're trying to convince us there were/are much better wrestlers than Beloglasov, Fadzaev, Saitiev, Khadartsev, Yazdani, etc in their respective countries but they chose greco instead of freestyle because...well because that's just what the better wrestlers in other countries do for some never explained reason.

 

Watch a high-level greco match. The skill level is not on par with freestyle. 99% of a greco match is pushing, pulling, and bumping chests until somebody gets an advantageous angle/momentum and the other wrestler basically gives up the takedown quickly so he doesn't get thrown for more points.

[gutfirst 215]

From 2002-2013:

 

The total number of competitors in both styles was roughly equal, from the world championships that I've looked at.

 

In Freestyle: 26 Countries produced medalists, and 15 produced champions.

In Greco-Roman: 38 Countries produced medalists, and 22 produced champions..

 

 

12 more countries out of a possible 38 is greater than 25% more.

7 more out of 22 is around 33%.

 

a significantly higher number of countries are represented by medalists and champs in greco compared to free.

[quanon 161]

A decade ago, Greco had significantly more competitors than freestyle. As of 2013, this is no longer the case.

 

**

Participants at Worlds

 

2002 FS 181 / GR 215

2003 FS 247 / GR 292

2005 FS 225 / GR 239

2006 FS 215 / GR 220

2007 FS 299 / GR 313

2009 FS 222 / GR 245

2010 FS 231 / GR 245

2011 FS 301 / GR 309

2013 FS 251 / GR 249

[gutfirst 215]

A decade ago, Greco had significantly more competitors than freestyle. As of 2013, this is no longer the case.

 

**

Participants at Worlds

 

2002 FS 181 / GR 215

2003 FS 247 / GR 292

2005 FS 225 / GR 239

2006 FS 215 / GR 220

2007 FS 299 / GR 313

2009 FS 222 / GR 245

2010 FS 231 / GR 245

2011 FS 301 / GR 309

2013 FS 251 / GR 249

 

1 event and barely.

[quanon 161]

The trend is clear.

[Jaroslav Hasek 1,762]

just for fun, here's a chart of the participants in FS and GR over time at the last world championships from Quanon's numbers. I added 7 for FS in 2002 because the US held their team out for security reasons. If that was already accounted for, let me know and i'll take them back out.

 

 

and here's difference between GR and FS participants over time (again, with 7 extra for FS in 2002).

 

 

interesting to see the spikes in the pre Olympic years. also both GR and FS are trending up, which is a good thing. FS is just trending up at a faster rate.

 

Theories for why that is? popularity of FS increasing relative to GR? More Russians (or Caucasus region wrestlers) wrestling for countries that otherwise wouldn't have a FS entry?

[quanon 161]

Nice work on the charts.

 

I would have to look at the participating countries to get a sense of why the numbers are moving.

 

Here's a guess, though -- if Greco is known to be more competitive, then it is more efficient to invest in your freestyle teams, especially if you are not an established wrestling power.

[Jaroslav Hasek 1,762]

Nice work on the charts.

 

I would have to look at the participating countries to get a sense of why the numbers are moving.

 

Here's a guess, though -- if Greco is known to be more competitive, then it is more efficient to invest in your freestyle teams, especially if you are not an established wrestling power.

 

thanks. non traditional powers expanding into freestyle would explain the increased numbers, but i dont know if if its because greco is more competitive. what gets you a better return on your wrestling program's investment, FS or GR? doesnt GR have more parity? isnt it tougher to break through the Russia + Ex Soviets + Iran stranglehold at the moment?

[OBJoeB 32]

Nice work on the charts.

 

I would have to look at the participating countries to get a sense of why the numbers are moving.

 

Here's a guess, though -- if Greco is known to be more competitive, then it is more efficient to invest in your freestyle teams, especially if you are not an established wrestling power.

 

thanks. non traditional powers expanding into freestyle would explain the increased numbers, but i dont know if if its because greco is more competitive. what gets you a better return on your wrestling program's investment, FS or GR? doesnt GR have more parity? isnt it tougher to break through the Russia + Ex Soviets + Iran stranglehold at the moment?

Maybe the expanding freestyle numbers are because countries that have developed/are developing women's wrestling programs have started to increase their men's wrestling programs and they are focusing on one style, freestyle. Limited resources, it makes sense to focus on one sport.