What is UWW?
United World Wrestling is the world governing body of wrestling — founded in 1912 as FILA and reborn as UWW in 2014, after the 2013 crisis in which the IOC briefly dropped wrestling and Nenad Lalović's reforms saved its Olympic place. It is headquartered in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland.[1] [2]
What does UWW govern?
The rules of freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's wrestling (plus beach and grappling disciplines); the annual World Championships at senior, U23, U20 and U17 level; the Ranking Series; world rankings; and Olympic qualification — through national federations on every continent.[2] [3]
Why does UWW matter?
Every international wrestling credential — world medals, ranking positions, Olympic berths — runs through UWW's open, athlete-by-athlete database: one of the most complete official records in Olympic sport.[2] [3]
References
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Wrestling (governance). Accessed August 2026.
- UWW — official site. Accessed August 2026.
- UWW — events & rankings. Accessed August 2026.