Wrestling is one of the most well-known grappling martial arts practiced worldwide. It has several types with different weight classes, including folkstyle (collegiate), Greco-Roman, and freestyle wrestling; the last two are Olympic combat sports.
Wrestlers are divided into weight classes in international and Olympic Wrestling competitions to ensure fair competition and high-level performance.
This page will go over the various weight divisions in wrestling. We’ll examine adult and youth weight categories in freestyle, Greco-Roman, and Collegiate wrestling for international and Olympic competitions. Keep an eye out!
International Wrestling Weight Classes
Wrestling is a combat sport in which two contestants attempt to outmaneuver one another to score points or pin their opponent to the mat.
Weight classes are often used in international wrestling competitions to guarantee that the contest is fair and evenly balanced.
The following are the various international weight categories recognized by the United World Wrestling (UWW).
International Weight Classes in Greco-Roman Wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling is a popular and physically demanding grappling that traces back to ancient Greece when it was a prominent source of entertainment.
However, the modern version of this fighting sport was created in France in the early nineteenth century.
Greco-Roman wrestling is now a worldwide sport in which athletes worldwide participate at the highest levels. Unfortunately, It is a male-only sport with no women’s competitions.
The United World Wrestling Federation (UWW) regulates Greco-Roman wrestling and holds various international Championships.
Otherwise, it recognizes ten weight classes in Greco-Roman wrestling; ranging in weight from 55 kilograms (121 pounds) to 130 kilograms (287 pounds), as shown in the table below:
| Greco-Roman international wrestling weight classes in kilograms | Greco-Roman international wrestling weight classes in pounds |
|---|---|
| 55 kg | 121 lbs |
| 60 kg | 132 lbs |
| 63 kg | 139 lbs |
| 67 kg | 148 lbs |
| 72 kg | 159 lbs |
| 77 kg | 170 lbs |
| 82 kg | 181 lbs |
| 87 kg | 192 lbs |
| 97 kg | 214 lbs |
| 130 kg | 287 lbs |
Recommended: Greco-Roman Wrestling Weight Classes (A Closer Look)
International Weight Classes in Freestyle Wrestling
Freestyle is another popular wrestling discipline with millions of fans worldwide. Unlike Greco-Roman, Freestyle wrestling allows holds below and up the waist, including the legs.
Otherwise, both genders contest in different freestyle Wrestling international tournaments, including the World Wrestling Championships.
The following are weight categories in freestyle wrestling recognized by the United World Wrestling (UWW).
Men’s International Weight Divisions in Freestyle Wrestling
In its competitions, the United World Wrestling uses 11 categories for male freestyle wrestlers weighing between 53 and 125 kilograms (115 and 275 pounds).
| Men’s international freestyle wrestling weight categories in kilograms | Men’s international freestyle wrestling weight categories in pounds |
|---|---|
| 53 kg | 115 lbs |
| 57 kg | 125 lbs |
| 61 kg | 134 lbs |
| 65 kg | 143 lbs |
| 70 kg | 154 lbs |
| 74 kg | 163 lbs |
| 79 kg | 174 lbs |
| 86 kg | 190 lbs |
| 92 kg | 203 lbs |
| 97 kg | 214 lbs |
| 125 kg | 276 lbs |
Women’s International Weight Categories in Freestyle Wrestling
In its competitions, the UWW uses ten weight classes for female freestyle wrestlers weighing between 50 and 76 kilos (110 and 168 pounds).
| Women’s international freestyle wrestling weight divisions in kilograms | Women’s international freestyle wrestling weight divisions in pounds |
|---|---|
| 50 kg | 110 lbs |
| 53 kg | 117 lbs |
| 55 kg | 121 lbs |
| 57 kg | 126 lbs |
| 59 kg | 130 lbs |
| 62 kg | 137 lbs |
| 65 kg | 143 lbs |
| 68 kg | 150 lbs |
| 72 kg | 159 lbs |
| 76 kg | 168 lbs |
Related Article: Freestyle Wrestling Weight Classes (A Closer Look)
Youth International Wrestling Weight Divisions
Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling share the same weight divisions for juvenile wrestlers.
The following are the weight classes for youth wrestlers in the UWW’s international tournaments based on the competitors’ ages.
U15 Boys International Wrestling Weight Divisions
There are ten U15 weight divisions for male wrestlers ages 15, 14, and 13 with a medical certificate and parental permission. As mentioned below, they range between 34 to 85 kilograms (75 to 187 pounds).
| U15 boys international wrestling weight classes in kilograms | U15 boys international wrestling weight classes in pounds |
|---|---|
| 34 to 38 kg | 75 to 84 lbs |
| 41 kg | 90 lbs |
| 44 kg | 97 lbs |
| 48 kg | 106 lbs |
| 52 kg | 115 lbs |
| 57 kg | 126 lbs |
| 62 kg | 137 lbs |
| 68 kg | 150 lbs |
| 75 kg | 165 lbs |
| 85 kg | 187 lbs |
Cadets Boys International Wrestling Weight Divisions
Eleven cadets’ weight divisions for male wrestlers aged 17, 16, and 15 have medical certification and parental approval. They range between 41 to 110 kilograms (90 to 243 pounds), as seen below.
| Cadets boys international wrestling weight categories in kilograms | Cadets boys international wrestling weight categories in pounds |
|---|---|
| 41 to 45 kg | 90 to 99 lbs |
| 48 kg | 106 lbs |
| 51 kg | 112 lbs |
| 55 kg | 121 lbs |
| 60 kg | 132 lbs |
| 65 kg | 143 lbs |
| 71 kg | 157 lbs |
| 80 kg | 176 lbs |
| 92 kg | 203 lbs |
| 110 kg | 243 lbs |
Juniors Boys International Wrestling Weight Classes
There are eleven junior weight divisions for male wrestlers aged 20, 19, 18, and 17 with a medical certificate and parental permission. As seen below, they range between 57 to 125 kilograms (126 to 276 pounds).
| Juniors boys international wrestling weight classes in kilograms | Juniors boys international wrestling weight classes in pounds |
|---|---|
| 57 kg | 126 lbs |
| 61 kg | 134 lbs |
| 65 kg | 143 lbs |
| 70 kg | 154 lbs |
| 74 kg | 163 lbs |
| 79 kg | 174 lbs |
| 86 kg | 190 lbs |
| 92 kg | 203 lbs |
| 97 kg | 214 lbs |
| 125 kg | 276 lbs |
Females U15 International Wrestling Weight Categories
There are ten U15 weight divisions for female wrestlers ages 15, 14, and 13 with a medical certificate and parental permission. As mentioned below, they range between 29 to 66 kilograms (64 to 146 pounds).
| Girls U15 international wrestling weight divisions in kilograms | Girls U15 international wrestling weight divisions in pounds |
|---|---|
| 29 to 33 kg | 64 to 73 lbs |
| 36 kg | 79 lbs |
| 39 kg | 86 lbs |
| 42 kg | 93 lbs |
| 46 kg | 101 lbs |
| 50 kg | 110 lbs |
| 54 kg | 119 lbs |
| 58 kg | 128 lbs |
| 62 kg | 137 lbs |
| 66 kg | 146 lbs |
Cadets Females International Wrestling Weight Categories
There are eleven cadets’ weight divisions for female youth wrestlers aged 17, 16, and 15 with medical certification and parental approval. As cited below, they range between 36 to 73 kilograms (79 to 161 pounds).
| Cadets girls international wrestling weight classes in kilograms | Cadets girls international wrestling weight classes in pounds |
|---|---|
| 36 to 40 kg | 79 to 88 lbs |
| 43 kg | 95 lbs |
| 46 kg | 101 lbs |
| 49 kg | 108 lbs |
| 53 kg | 117 lbs |
| 57 kg | 126 lbs |
| 61 kg | 134 lbs |
| 65 kg | 143 lbs |
| 69 kg | 152 lbs |
| 73 kg | 161 lbs |
Juniors females International Wrestling Weight Classes
There are eleven junior weight divisions for female wrestlers aged 20, 19, 18, and 17 with a medical certificate and parental permission. They range between 50 to 76 kilograms (110 to 168 pounds), as noticed below.
| Juniors girls international Greco-Roman wrestling weight divisions in kilograms | Juniors girls international Greco-Roman wrestling weight divisions in pounds |
|---|---|
| 50 kg | 110 lbs |
| 53 kg | 117 lbs |
| 55 kg | 121 lbs |
| 57 kg | 126 lbs |
| 59 kg | 130 lbs |
| 62 kg | 137 lbs |
| 65 kg | 143 lbs |
| 68 kg | 150 lbs |
| 72 kg | 159 lbs |
| 76 kg | 168 lbs |
Olympic Weight Classes in Wrestling
Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling are two popular Olympic combat sports. Greco-Roman wrestling has competed in the modern Olympic Games since Athens in 1896.
Simultaneously, men’s freestyle wrestling has been contested in the modern Olympic Games since 1904. And women’s freestyle wrestling has competed in the Summer Olympic Games since 2004 in Athens.
Related Article: Martial arts at Paris 2024 Olympics (A Closer Look)
Aside from that, the Olympic Wrestling Games feature several single-elimination matches with combatants classified into weight classes.
Therefore, wrestlers compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals in each weight class in Olympic wrestling, depending on their weight.
Let’s look at the various Olympic weight divisions for men and women wrestlers.
Men’s Olympic Wrestling Weight Categories
Men wrestlers contest in the Olympic Wrestling championship in Greco-Roman and freestyle Wrestling. They compete in weight classes ranging from 60 to 130 kg ( (132 to 287 lbs), as shown in the chart below.
| Greco-Roman Olympic weight classes in kilogram | Greco-Roman Olympic weight classes in pounds |
|---|---|
| 60 kg | 132 lbs |
| 67 kg | 148 lbs |
| 77 kg | 170 lbs |
| 87 kg | 192 lbs |
| 97 kg | 214 lbs |
| 130 kg | 287 lbs |
Men wrestlers also contest in freestyle wrestling in the Olympics. And they are divided into six Olympic weight classes ranging from 57 to 125 kg ( (125 to 275 lbs), as shown in the chart below.
| Men’s Olympic freestyle wrestling weight categories in kilograms | Men’s Olympic freestyle wrestling weight categories in pounds |
|---|---|
| 57 kg | 125 lbs |
| 65 kg | 143 lbs |
| 74 kg | 163 lbs |
| 86 kg | 190 lbs |
| 97 kg | 214 lbs |
| 125 kg | 276 lbs |
Women’s Olympic Wrestling Weight Categories
Women wrestlers only contest in the freestyle Olympic wrestling competition. And they are divided into six Olympic weight classes ranging from 50 to 76 kg ( (110 to 168 lbs), as demonstrated in the table below.
| Women’s Olympic wrestling weight divisions in kilograms | Women’s Olympic wrestling weight divisions in pounds |
|---|---|
| 50 kg | 110 lbs |
| 53 kg | 117 lbs |
| 57 kg | 126 lbs |
| 62 kg | 137 lbs |
| 68 kg | 150 lbs |
| 76 kg | 168 lbs |
Recommended: Olympic Wrestling Weight Classes (A Closer Look!)
Elementary School Wrestling Weight Classes
At this age, there are several methods for defining weight classes:
- Madison system – no weight divisions, wrestlers are paired into brackets according to their weigh-in weight to avoid weight cutting in young athletes;
- Division-based system – age and weight class divisions are at the tournament director’s discretion.
- Pure-weight-based system – age doesn’t matter, weight does – fighters are divided exclusively by weight.
Middle School Wrestling Weight Divisions
It might vary from state to state, but we will focus on OHSAA weight classes:
- 80 lbs.
- 86 lbs.
- 92 lbs.
- 98 lbs.
- 104 lbs.
- 110 lbs.
- 116 lbs.
- 122 lbs.
- 128 lbs.
- 134 lbs.
- 142 lbs.
- 150 lbs.
- 160 lbs.
- 172 lbs.
- 205 lbs.
- 245 lbs.
High School Wrestling Weight Categories
Fourteen weight classes are set by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), but there are specific weight categories from state to state, we will focus on the general ones:
- 106 lbs.
- 113 lbs.
- 120 lbs.
- 126 lbs.
- 132 lbs.
- 138 lbs.
- 145 lbs.
- 152 lbs.
- 160 lbs.
- 170 lbs.
- 182 lbs.
- 195 lbs.
- 220 lbs.
Collegial Wrestling System Weight Classes
Collegiate wrestling is extremely popular in the United States of America, and it is probably the only federation where women can choose to fight under Greco-Roman rules.
First, let’s focus on the male divisions approved by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA):
- 125 lbs.
- 133 lbs.
- 141 lbs.
- 149 lbs.
- 157 lbs.
- 165 lbs.
- 174 lbs.
- 184 lbs.
- 197 lbs.
- Heavyweight (183 lbs to 285 lbs).
NCWA approves eight weight divisions for female competitors who pick Greco-Roman (collegiate) instead of freestyle ruleset:
- 105 lbs.
- 112 lbs.
- 121 lbs.
- 130 lbs.
- 139 lbs.
- 148 lbs.
- 159 lbs.
- 200 lbs.
Finally, WCWA uses freestyle wrestling rules instead of collegiate ones for females, and this organization offers ten weight divisions:
- 101 lbs.
- 109 lbs.
- 116 lbs.
- 123 lbs.
- 130 lbs.
- 136 lbs.
- 143 lbs.
- 155 lbs.
- 170 lbs.
- 191 lbs.
Conclusion
Wrestling is one of the top pleasing and physically demanding Olympic martial arts. It includes several types: Folkstyle (collegiate), freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling.
There are several international wrestling tournaments, including world championships, among others, where wrestlers are classified into weight categories.
Wrestling weight classes are an essential part of the sport because they assure fair competition by grouping wrestlers of comparable weight.
This article has helped you learn about the different Wrestling weight classes; please share it with your friends.
Related Article: Is Wrestling an Olympic Sport? (A Closer Look)
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Weight Divisions Are There in Freestyle Wrestling?
Freestyle wrestling has eleven weight divisions for men and ten for women, recognized by the United World Wrestling.
| Men’s weight classes in freestyle wrestling | Women’s weight classes in freestyle wrestling |
|---|---|
| 53 kg (115 lbs) | 50 kg (110 lbs) |
| 57 kg (125 lbs) | 53 kg (117 lbs) |
| 61 kg (134 lbs) | 55 kg (121 lbs) |
| 65 kg (143 lbs) | 57 kg (126 lbs) |
| 70 kg (154 lbs) | 59 kg (130 lbs) |
| 74 kg (163 lbs) | 62 kg (137 lbs) |
| 79 kg (174 lbs) | 65 kg (143. lbs) |
| 86 kg (190 lbs) | 68 kg (150 lbs) |
| 92 kg (203 lbs) | 72 kg (159 lbs) |
| 97 kg (214 lbs) | 76 kg (168 lbs) |
| 125 kg (276 lbs) | – |
How Many Weight Divisions Are There in Greco-Roman Wrestling?
The United World Wrestling recognizes ten weight classes for men in Greco-roman wrestling.
| Greco-Roman wrestling weight classes in kilograms | Greco-Roman wrestling weight classes in pounds |
|---|---|
| 55 kg | 121 lbs |
| 60 kg | 132 lbs |
| 63 kg | 139 lbs |
| 67 kg | 148 lbs |
| 72 kg | 159 lbs |
| 77 kg | 170 lbs |
| 82 kg | 181 lbs |
| 87 kg | 192 lbs |
| 97 kg | 214 lbs |
| 130 kg | 287 lbs |
