Wrestling Added to the Ancient Olympic Games

Wrestling (pale) was introduced at the 18th Olympiad at the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia, alongside the pentathlon. Competitors grappled standing until one wrestler achieved three throws, defined as forcing the opponent's body, hip, back, or shoulder to the ground. Unlike later Greco-Roman wrestling, tripping was permitted. Wrestling also served as the concluding event of the pentathlon. The sport became among the most widely practiced athletic disciplines in the Greek world, with training facilities (palaestrai) established across Greek city-states.