Korean wrestlers to hit Greco-Roman floor at Champ-de-Mars

Olympic Sports

Korean wrestlers to hit Greco-Roman floor at Champ-de-Mars

Published: 25 Jul. 2024, 08:35

A photo of the Olympic rings against the Eiffel Tower in Paris on July 21. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Korea is sending two wrestlers to the Paris Olympics where first-time Olympians Kim Seung-jun and Lee Seung-chan will represent the delegation on the Greco-Roman floor.

Kim, 29, is competing in the 97-kilogram category while Lee, 28, is competing in the 130-kilogram class.

Kim Seung-jun, left, and Lee Seung-chan post for a photo ahead of the Paris Olympics. [KOREA WRESTLING ASSOCIATION/YONHAP]

Both qualified through the Asian Olympic Games Qualifiers in Bishkek, Kazakhstan, winning their respective weight categories.

There are six weight classes for Greco-Roman, a men’s only event — 60-kilogram, 67-kilogram, 77-kilogram, 87-kilogram, 97-kilogram and 130-kilogram.

Freestyle events will run for both men and women, but no Korean athletes qualified for either freestyle competition.

The main difference between the two categories is each style’s rules on holding, as Greco-Roman wrestlers can only grapple above the waist while freestyle allows for more attacks.

Wrestlers earn points by performing takedown maneuvers and escaping holds.

If an athlete pins their opponent’s shoulders to the mat, the referee declares a down, which ends the bout. If no down is declared in the time given, the wrestler with the most points wins.

Wrestling emphasizes offense and penalizes passivity.

On the first instance of passivity, the referee will issue a verbal warning. After the verbal warning, the next warning will come with a 30-second timer that forces either wrestler to try for a point.

If no point is awarded, a technical point will be given to the wrestler that did not receive the warning.

Greco-Roman wrestling runs from Aug. 6 to 7 at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris.

Korea has 36 medals in wrestling at the Olympics, including 11 gold. Korea last medaled in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2016 Rio Olympics — a bronze from Kim Hyeon-woo.

BY MARY YANG, KEVIN CHUNG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]