Wrestling World Champs Underway in Las Vegas

(ATR) The 11th annual combined world championships for United World Wrestling opened Monday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Competitors from 99 countries began facing off in three weight classes of the Greco-Roman discipline. There are three disciplines in total at the event and eight weight classes in each discipline: men’s Greco-Roman, women’s freestyle and men’s freestyle.

Before 2005, each discipline held a separate championship, with men’s Greco-Roman championships beginning in 1904. Men’s freestyle was introduced in 1951 and women’s freestyle in 1987.

The tournament is hosted by USA Wrestling and the United States Olympic Committee at the Orleans Hotel and Arena.

Preliminary matches are now underway with three divisions of the men’s Greco-Roman competitors kicking off the tournament.

Following the conclusion of the preliminary matches, the opening ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. Bronze and gold medal matches for the 66, 75 and 98 KG weight classes will begin after the conclusion of the opening ceremony.

Three defending champions from 2014 will not be competing at the 2015 edition according to preliminary entry forms submitted to UWW. Yang Kyong-Il of South Korea, Khetik Tsabolov and Denis Tsargush of Russia will not be in Las Vegas for the event.

UWW will be providing live stream coverage of the six-day tournament as part of a growing initiative to provide wrestling fans around the world unlimited access to the sport.

"After our wrestlers, we know that the fans are the most important part of our organization. Millions of people around the world want to watch wrestling and we are going to provide them access from our website," said United World Wrestling president and new IOC member Nenad Lalovic.

The championships will conclude September 12.

Written by Kevin Nutley

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.