Q: What are the Youth Olympic Games?
A: The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is a brand new event, hosted by the International Olympic Committee. It will be held in Singapore between August 14-26, 2010, and will bring together 3,600 young athletes from 26 sports to compete. Athletes from all 205 nations who compete in the Olympics are eligible to try out for YOG.

Q: Who can compete in YOG in wrestling?
A: Wrestling athletes must have birthdates that fall between January 1, 1993 and December 31, 1994.

Q: Why is YOG so important?
A: This is the first time that the IOC has hosted an Olympic Games for youth athletes. It will be a tremendous honor for athletes to participate in this event. In addition to competing against athletes from across the world, the YOG will also include a full program of cultural and educational events that will make it an experience of a lifetime for those who participate.

Q: How many weight classes will be held in wrestling at YOG?
A: In total, there will be 14 weight classes in wrestling. There will be five weight classes in men's freestyle (46 kg, 54 kg, 63 kg, 76 kg, 100 kg), five weight classes in Greco-Roman (42 kg, 50 kg, 58 kg, 69 kg, 85 kg) and four weight classes in women's freestyle (46 kg, 52 kg, 60 kg, 70 kg).

Q: How many athletes will the United States be allowed to bring in wrestling?
A: The maximum that any nation can enter in wrestling at the YOG is five, with a maximum of two in men's freestyle, two in Greco-Roman and one in women's freestyle. 

Q: Why would they limit the number of wrestlers that each nation can enter?
A: There will only be eight wrestlers in each weight class. YOG is much smaller in size than the Olympic Games. In addition, the IOC wants to have a variety of nations represented in wrestling at the event.

Q: How is the U.S. wrestling team for the YOG determined?
A: There are two stages in the process to determine the U.S. wrestlers for YOG. The first step is to compete in a USA Wrestling qualifying event for YOG. The second step is to compete in a Pan-American qualifying event for YOG, which will be held in Monterrey, Mexico, May 3-5.

Q: What is the U.S. qualifying event for women's freestyle?
A: The U.S. qualifying event for women's freestyle will be the Women's FILA Cadet Youth Olympic Games Qualifier in Oklahoma City, Okla. on Friday, March 26. This qualifier will be held one day before the Girls Folkstyle National Championships are held in Oklahoma City. For more information on the women's freestyle qualifier, visit the official website at:
Website for Women's FILA Cadet Youth Olympic Games Qualifier

Q: What is the U.S. qualifying event for men's freestyle and Greco-Roman?
A: The U.S. qualifying event for men's freestyle and Greco-Roman will be the FILA Cadet National Championships held in Akron, Ohio, April 8-11. Please note that an athlete can qualify for the YOG in only one style. Only athletes who are competing in the FILA Cadet Nationals who meet the age requirements will be able to advance to the Pan American Qualifier. For more information on the FILA Cadet National Championships, visit the official website at:
Website for FILA Cadet Nationals

Q: How will the U.S. team for the Pan-American Qualifier be set?
A: The champions of each weight class from the U.S. qualifiers will be given the opportunity to compete at the Pan American Qualifier. Any male wrestler who wins both the freestyle and Greco-Roman event at the FILA Cadet Nationals will have to pick one of the styles. If the champion turns down the opportunity, USA Wrestling will go down the order of place finishers at the weight category. 

Q: Who pays for the athletes who will compete at the Pan American Qualifier in Mexico?
A: The athletes who compete in the Pan American Qualifier in Mexico will have to cover the costs of their own flight, room and board. USA Wrestling will cover the cost of the support staff in Mexico only.

Q: How will it be determined who will compete in wrestling at YOG once the Pan American Qualifier is over?
A: First, a wrestler must qualify in competition against the other Pan American athletes at the weight class. With that in mind, to guarantee an opportunity to be considered for the U.S. team for YOG, a wrestler must win his or her weight class at the qualifier in Mexico. Second, if there are more qualifiers than the allotment, there is a list of U.S. Olympic Committee approved criteria for the team selection. To see a summary of the selection process procedures, see the following link:
Youth Olympic Games selection process

Q: How many athletes per weight class from the Pan American nations will be permitted in YOG?
A: There will be two Pan American athletes per weight class allowed in freestyle, one per weight class in Greco-Roman and one per weight class in women's freestyle. 

Q: So, if an athlete wins the U.S. Qualifier and the Pan American Qualifier, does that guarantee a spot on the U.S. wrestling team for YOG?
A: No. There may be a chance that there will be more than two men's freestyle wrestlers, or two Greco-Roman wrestlers or one women's freestyle wrestler from the United States who meet the qualifying standards at the Pan American Qualifier in Mexico. That is why there is a set of criteria to break the tie and determine which athletes will make the YOG team and compete in Singapore.

Q: If an athlete does qualify for YOG, what comes next?
A: The qualified athlete will have all expenses covered by the IOC to attend the YOG in Singapore. In order to participate, the athletes must stay at YOG in Singapore for the entire Games, from August 14-26. They must also participate in the cultural events which are included in YOG.

Q: When is the wrestling competition in YOG?
A: The wrestling competition will be held at the International Convention Center in Singapore. The Greco-Roman competition will be Sunday, August 15. The women's freestyle competition will be Monday, August 16. The men's freestyle competition will be Tuesday, August 17. Weighins will occur the night before each competition.

Q: I heard that there was Beach Wrestling at YOG?
A: That is correct. The Beach Wrestling tournament will be open to all athletes at YOG, not just the wrestlers. It is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, August 21 at a resort location in Singapore. USA Wrestling will strongly encourage all of our wrestling athletes to enter the Beach Wrestling tournament. Winning a Beach Wrestling medal at YOG is a great honor, and we hope that our American wrestlers can do very well in that competition.

Q: So what should a person do who wants to compete in YOG?
A: Here are the key things you need to know:
- You must plan ahead, with the expectation that you may achieve your goals. 
- You will need to secure the funds necessary to compete in a U.S. qualifier, then the Pan American Qualifier. 
- You have to first attend the U.S. qualifier in your discipline. The women's event is in Oklahoma City on March 26. The event for men's freestyle and Greco-Roman is in Akron, Ohio, April, 8-11. You will need to cover the cost of the event.
- If you make the U.S. team there, you must then compete in the Pan American Qualifier in Monterrey, Mexico, May 3-5. You will need to cover the cost of this event, also.
- You will need to secure a passport. USA Wrestling can provide information on how to get this done.
- If you qualify for YOG, all of your expenses will be covered. However, you must stay at YOG for the entire time of the Games, August 14-26. There is no flexibility regarding the length of stay at YOG.