American Women in Amateur Wrestling, 2000–2022

Throughout the new millennium, the number of women interested in amateur wrestling has skyrocketed. From grade school to college, girls and women have been strapping on their head guards and singlets to grapple with their dreams of success on the mat. However, the sport and its participants have not always had an easy time.
This book documents the growth of female amateur wrestling in America, and the difficulties and victories it has faced, from removal from the 2013 Olympic Games, to missing the 2020 Games altogether due to Covid-19. The work chronicles the bravery of the women who have led the sport and sets out their performances in the 2021 Olympic Games. With 50 photographs, it also features interviews with the female wrestlers who continue to challenge an often-suppressed field, hoping eventually to leave their mark on the American sports world.

An award-winning journalist and lifelong wrestling fan, Jason Norman teaches college English in southeastern Virginia.

Jason Norman
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 263
Bibliographic Info: 33 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2023
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8486-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4907-8
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1
Chapter 1. Will the Trials Begin? 3
Chapter 2. The Olympics Are Coming! 10
Chapter 3. Wrestling’s Sudden Death … and Resurrection 23
Chapter 4. Body Issues—and Bullies 33
Chapter 5. Back to the Trials! 46
Chapter 6. Women’s Wrestling on the Screens 70
Chapter 7. Sports Entertainment—and Other Wrestling(s) 81
Chapter 8. Prayer’s Role on the Mat 99
Chapter 9. Warming Up for the Olympics 107
Chapter 10. From the Gridiron to the Mat, and Sometimes Back 110
Chapter 11. The 2000s 117
Chapter 12. Women on the Go 166
Chapter 13. Up Against Covid 173
Chapter 14. The Games Finally Arrive! 181
Chapter 15. Mat Women of the Future 196
Epilogue 237
A Final Farewell! 241
Bibliography 249
Index 255