UWW Five-Year Strategic Plan: Enhance Women's Wrestling, Transform Digitally

Wednesday, November 10, 2021 - 08:38 By Eric Olanowski

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (November 10) -- As United World Wrestling moves into another Olympic cycle after completing a successful Tokyo Olympics, it is keen on taking the next big step.

At the bi-annual Congress, held on the eve of the U23 World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, UWW revealed its extensive five-year plan to enhance the sport. It has identified five key areas of focus over the next five years.

The areas identified following a comprehensive outreach program are women's wrestling, digital transformation, youth engagement, associated styles and the image of wrestling.

The five areas will be the priority at every competition through 2022-'26. The organization will implement a system to track the progress. United World Wrestling will provide national federations with roadmaps and resources that aim to help move forward together.

UWW Congress was held in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Enhance and Empower Women's Wrestling

In line with the International Olympic Committee's focus on gender equality, UWW aims to create an optimal inclusive environment to achieve gender equality. Women's wrestling and its growth are a significant part of that program.

With the objective to communicate the potential of women's wrestling and create inclusivity at the sporting and organizational level, UWW will analyze the areas that can boost women's wrestling growth.

UWW's top priority before Paris Olympics is to identify the blockers in the growth of women's wrestling and the potential drivers that can provide that boost. It also plans to share inspiring case studies and launch women's achievement awards.

On the sporting front, the technical committee will review and adapt training methods and techniques, develop more female coaches, analyze rules for WW and review event presentation and delivery for all women competitions.

UWW Tech UWW is keen on a digital-first approach. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

Embrace and Foster Digital Transformation

With a digital-first approach, UWW has achieved a pathbreaking system aiming to transform the sport and organization using digital tools.

Moving forward, it will create a roadmap by analyzing the current landscape and identifying the challenges that may arise, given the complex nature of the sport.

The inclusion of all stakeholders is essential to achieve a digital transformation with national federations, commissions, and even wrestlers. Therefore, UWW will build a universal understanding of the digital-first approach.

An internal team will be formed, where they'll be responsible for setting goals and preparing the stakeholders. They will also be responsible for reinforcing the technology adaptation at all levels.

It will be a huge step in fostering a digital culture, and with the support of national federations, training will be provided. By monitoring the trends, UWW can analyze the areas in which more work is needed.

UWW is also in the works to create a digital transformation dashboard to measure the global status and progress it makes with these changes.

More than medals

Elevate and Inspire Youth Engagement

As the future of the sport lies in the hands of youth, UWW has made it a priority to reach out and engage youth for the future of our sport. The objectives outlined by UWW are to develop entry pathways for youth, connect and enhance youth competitions.

For that, UWW will encourage more schools to have wrestling programs, inspire more girls to wrestle, and even prepare programs between countries. It also aims to connect via demonstrating shared values, promoting youth wrestling stories and creating youth awards.

UWW will analyze industry best practices, test new event activation ideas at competitions of all styles and age categories, and evaluate the impact to enhance youth competitions.

Grappling is one of UWW's most important Associated Styles. (Photo: UWW / Max Rose-Fyne)

Support and Connect Associated Styles

Given the history of the sport, UWW embraces many different wrestling styles and aims to grow all styles under one umbrella.

For the best results in associated styles, UWW will clarify the objectives by capturing the current landscape of the different styles around the world and gathering input on the priorities and objectives.

It also aims to establish better connections by creating a global UWW Summit for all styles and fostering knowledge and best practices. Connecting all styles remains a priority for the organization, and it will keep testing new approaches for that.

UWW will review the competition system and increase cross-promotion by facilitating education about different styles to create synergy and a win-win situation for every style.

Revamp and Reinforce Image of Wrestling

UWW has done it before and now it is time to take it to the next level. In a need to be better at showcasing the strengths of both wrestling and UWW, it will showcase the unique and attractive image of wrestling to audiences worldwide.

At the first step, UWW will clarify the image gap and revamp it. The organization then plans to reinforce and multiply the message about the sport and how it's run.

It is undoubtedly a process, but to determine how it wants to be looked at, UWW will analyze how it is seen in the current scenario. Clarifying the image gap will also need to the gap internally and externally.

By identifying the intangible strength of wrestling, UWW aims to produce new and attractive material and have new activities to showcase its image.

A huge part in promotion is played by the national federations, and UWW will support them and seek to develop new partnerships to amplify the new image. It will also create awards to share positive stories.

While UWW will not lag in these initiatives, only a united effort will be needed to support and activate activities at the regional and national levels. It has invited all national federations to send regular feedback and even share ideas to make wrestling a better sport.

#WrestleParis

Women's Wrestling at Olympics: 20 years strong

Monday, July 8, 2024 - 15:09 By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS (July 8) -- Inside an academy located in the middle of a farm at a village in Haryana, the northern Indian state that’s the country’s wrestling capital, a bunch of teenage girls had scribbled the name of their hero on a wall – Helen MAROULIS (USA).

When women’s wrestling made its Olympic debut, some of these girls were not even born. There were no roads leading up to the academy where they trained until a few years ago — the best way to reach the academy was on foot from the nearest highway exit point roughly a couple of miles away. And internet connectivity was patchy at best.

Yet, the story of Maroulis’s dominance had traveled to this far-flung village and became a part of the folklore. Few stories illustrate better the impact and the reach of women’s wrestling.

In less than three weeks, the eyes of the entire sporting – and wider – world will be fixed on Paris when the Olympic Games get underway. On the mat at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Champ de Mars, more stories of inspiration will unfold, paving the way for many young wrestlers to follow in the footsteps of their heroes.

At the Paris Olympics, women's wrestling will celebrate its 20th year of being at the Games. Back in 2004, when it was included in Athens, there were only four categories. In Paris, as was the case in Tokyo, there will be six — the same as Freestyle and Greco-Roman.

The 2024 Games will also be significant for the officials. As many as 11 female referees will be part of the officials. Back in 1988, it was only one.

Athens Women's Wrestling at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

Wrestling at the Paris Olympics will also be a symbolic occasion given the key role France played in the evolution of the women’s game. It was at Pas-de-Calais where women’s wrestling took one of its first steps. A club in Calonne-Ricouart was the first to open its doors to women in 1971.

From this tiny space in a region roughly three hours from Paris, women’s wrestling spread in other parts of France before it became a popular activity in the rest of the world.

The seeds that were sown in France have blossomed in countries across the world. As women’s wrestling traveled to Beijing, London, Tokyo and now arrives in Paris – following the journey that began in Athens – it left behind immaculate footprints for young, aspiring children to follow.

Tayla FORD (NZL) is the first wrestler from New Zealand who will compete at the Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Next month, when the competition gets underway in the French capital, history will be in the offing as Tayla FORD (NZL) will become the first female wrestler from her country to make it to the Olympics.

Ford’s story is one of sheer perseverance, not just hers but even of those around the wrestler. Her father, a high school wrestler, got Ford into wrestling after it was included in the Olympics programme. He had a mat installed in their garage and every day, the father and daughter trained.

In a way, Ford’s story is similar to the wrestlers from the Olympic women’s wrestling’s undisputed powerhouse, Japan.

The queen of wrestling, Saori YOSHIDA (JPN), began her journey in the same way. Before she went on to win every title there was to win – three Olympic gold medals, 13 World Championship titles, four Asian Games and Asian Championship gold medals each – Yoshida learnt the art at home.

Her father built a dojo at home where Yoshida, began to wrestle before she could even run properly. The rest, as they say, is history. The rise of Kaori ICHO (JPN), who went 13 years without a loss, followed a similar arc. And so do the stories of the other Japanese women, from Risako KAWAI to Yui SUSAKI.

Not to forget Icho, who won four gold medals at the Olympics, becoming the first Olympic athlete to win four golds in the same individual sport.

In Athens 20 years ago, Japan won only 2 gold medals. Since then, they have won 13. This level of dominance is rare to see in any sport. One of the few countries that’s consistently come close to challenging Japan’s dominance, and been a thorn in their flesh when it comes to a clean sweep of gold medals, is the USA.

Remarkably, the USA did not even compete at the World Championships until 1989, two years after the first edition for women took place. But once they landed on the scene, they took everyone by storm.

Afsoon JOHNSTON (USA) – who won a bronze medal – Asia DEWEESE (silver) and Leia KAWAII (silver) finished on the podium in 1989 and became sort of the pioneers of women’s wrestling in the US. Since then, there hasn’t been a time when the athletes from the Olympic powerhouse haven’t been among the medals.

The rise of women’s wrestling in the US is also a fascinating story, with nearly 50,000 girls competing in high school championships last year. Those young girls saw the wrestling stars from the country on television and decided to tread the same path they’d chosen.

A major reason for the surge in popularity in the US has been wrestlers like Maroulis. Her gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016 – the first American woman to achieve that feat – is seen as one of the big milestones that gave the sport a massive push.

Maroulis’s feat didn’t just inspire children in the US. The story traveled the world over, including a remote village in India. If anything, it showcased the sport’s transcending influence.

UWW Five-Year Strategic Plan: Enhance Women's Wrestling, Transform Digitally

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Women's Wrestling at Olympics: 20 years strong