16. 01. 2015
Lausanne, Switzerland (16.01.2015) - After more than four decades without significant changes to the appearance of wrestlers and wrestling, United World Wrestling announced on Thursday that it will make fundamental changes. The traditional wrestling mats, colored yellow and red, which were first adopted for the 1972 Munich Games, will be replaced by dark blue and orange. The colors were chosen as part of a larger effort to improve television viewership.
Wrestling singlets, not yet finalized in design, will come in various colors and be adapted to appeal to a younger audience. Referees, who once wore a suit and tie, will now have short-sleeved shirts and trousers.
"We want to take steps to ensure that wrestling is attractive to spectators," said United World Wrestling President Nenad Lalovic. "
The final designs, uniform for all three wrestling styles, are under development and will be approved during this year.