Female wrestling is a relatively young discipline, it originated in the early 1980s and began to spread around the world from the countries of Scandinavia and France. At first, representatives of the fairer sex practiced two styles of struggle, but ultimately chose free wrestling.
In 1984, the International Federation of Combined Styles of Struggle (FILA) decided to take control of and control the women's struggle. To this end, a special committee was set up, which was chaired by the current FILA Secretary-General Michel Dusson. Thus, FILA anticipated the course taken by the International Olympic Committee on gender equality in the Olympic movement. In other words, the IOC began to demand from international federations on sports that in each discipline women were represented on a par with men.
In 1987 in the Norwegian city of Lorenskog the first world championship on women's wrestling was held. It was attended by 47 athletes from 9 countries that competed in nine weight classes. Gold medals between each other were distributed by teams of France and Norway, which excelled respectively in five and three categories. And only in the lightest weight "gold" went to the representative of Belgium.
The French women did not last long in the role of female fashionresses in the women's wrestling, at the World Championships of 1990 they were beaten by Japanese women, who since then have not conceded to any leading position in the world.
The Olympic debut of the women's wrestling took place in 2004 in Athens. At the Olympic tournaments, the fair sex representatives compete in four weight categories (48, 55, 63 and 72 kg), while in all other competitions - in seven (48, 51, 55, 59, 63, 67 and 72 kg).
At the Games in Athens and Beijing, the best performers were athletes from the Land of the Rising Sun, who won two awards of the highest standard. At both Olympics "gold" of the national team of Japan brought Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho. By the way, Yoshida is the most titled sportswoman in the women's wrestling, she has a phenomenal achievement: she won 13 times (!) In the world championships in addition to two victories in the Olympic tournaments.
In Russia, the starting point for the development of the women's struggle was in 1990, when the corresponding decision was made by the Federation of Freestyle Wrestling in Russia. This document was adopted in February, and in April in Lipetsk the first Russian championship took place, in which 38 athletes from nine subjects of the Russian Federation, as well as from Ukraine, took part.
In 1993, Russia won the right to host the first European Championship. The competitions were held in Ivanovo, where in all nine categories the mistresses of the carpet prevailed. And later the Russians successfully competed in the championships of the continent, but at world championships and the Olympic Games they show more modest results. The Russian team made its debut at the world championships in 1991, and over the past time only four of its representatives managed to climb to the highest step of the pedestal.
And at two Olympic tournaments, Russians won only two silver medals.
