1. Analysis of the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 Greco-Roman Wrestling FILA Competence Centre Prof. Dr. Harold Tünnemann

2. FILA Coaches Clinic Novembre 2008 Hennef Analysis of the Olympic Games Beijing and the Olympic cycle 2004 - 2008 Greco-Roman Wrestling Contents 0 Preliminary remarks 1. International tendencies of the development of performance in wrestling 2. Analysis of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games 2.1. State of performance and development of Greco-Roman wrestling 2.1.1 Country-specific aspects 2.1.2 Qualitative analysis of combat behaviour 2.1.2.1 Combat behaviour of the nations 2.1.2. 2 Combat behaviour of the winner 3.Technical-tactical Highlights on a basis of video clips

3. 0 Preliminary remarks It has already become a good tradition to analyse the top event of the year on the occasion of the international coaches clinic and to draw conclusions for the next period of training. In this process the Olympic Games play an outstanding role and they have an extraordinary importance in the lives of greco-roman athletes. However, this does not only apply to the actors on the mats, but also to coaches, referees, officials, and spectators. The results of the Olympic Games reflect the work completed during one Olympic cycle, and an elaborate analysis furnishes the material for the training-methodical work during the next Olympic cycle.

4. In the following performance and development of performance in female wrestling shall be outlined, and attention shall be directed on progresses and deficiencies. In order to support in- depth analyses by coaches and athletes we place at your disposal videos with the best technical actions at the Olympic Games, a new edition of the DVD-ROM “Fascination Wrestling-special Olympic Edition” with the updated database and individual video sequences of the Olympic Games 1988 until 2008 as well as a DVD with highlights of the Beijing Olympic Games.

5. 1. International tendencies of the development of performance in wrestling As Mr. Jacques Rogge, the president of the IOC, closed the Olympic Games in Beijing with the words “These were truly exceptional Games!” the whole wrestling family could also be full of praise for the perfect organisation of the Chinese hosts. The Chinese responsible persons for our sport, the spectators and the nice volunteers especially made the Olympic Games to an unforgettable event for us. So we can support with all one's heart Mr. Rogge’s conclusion: “Through these Games, the world learned more about China, and China learned more about the world.” Athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees came to these dazzling venues and particularly the athletes from Great Britain made great increases in efficiency (chart 1).

7. In Wrestling 60 countries took part in the Olympic Summer Games and the 71 medals have been won by 28 countries. The most three successful countries in Wrestling have been in Beijing Russia, Japan and Georgia while Georgia made the biggest leap since Athens (chart 2).

9. The Olympic tournament in Greco-Roman Wrestling has been dominated by the Russian athletes. But also congratulations to the athletes and coaches of France and China who placed second and third within the FILA-Nation point standings (chart 3).

11. 2. Analysis of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games 2.1. State of performance and development of Greco-Roman Wrestling After the Olympic Games in Athens and after the rule changes 2005 we have a clear increase of the points per minute in Greco-Roman Wrestling from 0.9 in Athens to 1.6 in Beijing.

13. We have also an increase of points per bout since the rule changing 2005 from 5.9 points in Athens to 8.4 points per bout in Beijing. If we are looking at the quality of points it has to consider an amount from 42% of clinch points, a clear increase of 1 point actions and a decrease of 2-points and 3-points action.

14. 2. 1. 1. Country-specific aspects We mentioned already the outstanding results of the Russian Greco-Roman wrestlers. Congratulation to the athletes and coaches to this outstanding result!! In this connection we would like to congratulate also the French athletes and coaches to their great success in Beijing placed second in the Nation standings.

15. 96 kg RUS - LTU

16. 74 kg FRA - HUN

17. A group of high-performance countries like China, Cuba and Kazakhstan followed the Russian and French athletes with a distance. 60 kg CHN - BUL

18. 120 kg ARM - CUB

19. 74 kg KAZ - AUS

20. Azerbaidshan, Hungary, Armenia, Bulgaria and Kirgistan placed themselves under the 10 best nations during the Olympic tournament in Beijing.

21. This leads us to a comparison of the nations’ performance from Athens and Beijing.

22. A look to the nations placed 10 to 20 shows an increase of Lithuania, Germany, Italy and Czech Republic, while Turkey, Ukraine, Sweden and Iran could not reached their results from Athens.

23. 2.1.2 Qualitative analysis of combat behaviour 2.1.2.1 Combat behaviour of the nations With the Performance index you can very good describe the technical-tactical abilities of a given nation or athlete.

24. 55 kg ARM - KAZ

25. 55 kg AZE - RUS

26. 74 kg GEO - FRA

27. The increase and decrease of the Wrestling efficacy since 2004 can be a hint to the quality of the national training concepts. Seen from this point of view the wrestlers from Russia improved their quality of wrestling dramatically from 0.43 up to 1.31.

28. If we take a deeper look into the quality we can see right now the typical indications of strategies in Greco-Roman wrestling.

29. This underlines the look at the comparison of the attack efficacy 2004 and 2008.

30. We can find the same tendency if we have a look at the defence abilities.With the exception of Russia we find rather poor values already in the best countries concerning the defence abilities.

31. The fig. 11 underlines the present strategy in Greco-Roman wrestling. All the best nations of 2008 decreased their “defence values” in comparison to 2004.

32. Summarizing the Wrestling efficacy of the Greco-Roman wrestlers we consider an outstanding quality of the Russian wrestlers followed with distance by Armenia, Azerbaidshan, Hungary and Kirgistan.

33. 60 kg CUB - KGZ

34. 2.1.2.2 Combat behaviour of the winner We consider a different picture concerning the performance index, which describes the technical-tactical abilities of the winner.

35. It is rather difficult to compare the wrestling abilities of the Olympic champions 2004 and 2008 because of the influence of the rule changing 2005.

36. The attack efficacy of Khushtov, 96kg (RUS), Kvirkhelia, 74kg (GEO) and Albiev, 60kg (RUS) is extraordinary. Only the champions of the 84 and 66kg weight categories can not keep pace with the other Olympic Champions.

37. We have the same picture and reasons if we compare the attack efficacy 2004 and 2008 as well as for the nations and the winner.

38. This assessment holds true of Albiev and Khustov if we have a look at the defence abilities of the Olympic Champions in Greco-Roman wrestling.

39. The outstanding defence performance of both Olympic Champions in 96kg and 60kg becomes clear if we compare the values 2004 and 2008.

40. Summarizing the wrestling efficacy, all Greco-Roman Olympic champions have realized excellent performances with Aslanbek Khushstov 96kg (RUS), Islam-Beka Albiev 60kg (RUS) and Manuchar Kvirkhelia 74 kg (GEO) being clearly ahead.

41. 3.Technical-tactical Highlights on a basis of video clips Of course we moved into centre stage in our analysis the combat behaviour of the best nations and the best athletes. But we could see in Beijing a lot of spectacular technical-tactical actions from athletes of various countries. We want to present in the end some additional technical-tactical actions to underline the development of Greco-roman wrestling.

42. 66 kg KGZ - UKR

43. 55 kg USA - ROU

44. 55 kg USA - KOR

45. 60 kg CHN - KAZ

46. 74 kg DEN - RUS

47. 96 kg USA - CHN

48. 96 kg CZE - RUS

49. 74 kg RUS - AZE

50. 66 kg USA - KGZ

51. 84 kg JPN - ARM

52. 84 kg USA - POL