FILA Considers Shirtless Uniform for Greco-Roman Wrestling

FILA has recently proposed a shirtless uniform for Greco-Roman wrestlers, according to an article in the Swedish paper Bladet. Apparently part of the idea may be a visual distinction between Greco-Roman and Freestyle, since the two styles are quite different, yet share the same uniform. However, I would propose allowing Freestyle wrestlers to compete shirtless as well and making the visual distinction in other ways, perhaps trunks versus tights. In a spectator setting such as the Olympics, it might be sensible to make a visual distinction in the mats they are competing on, such as colors or even labels stating whether the mat is featuring Greco-Roman or Freestyle competition. At any rate, it is good to hear that they are considering the option.

This raises another interesting question, though. Would they consider a shirtless option for submission wrestlers? While it is not in the Olympics, one of FILA's styles is submission wrestling, and FILA is the only major governing body for submission wrestling that requires a shirt or rashguard.

If you want to weigh in on the proposed shirtless uniform, or suggest extending shirtless options to freestyle or submission wrestling, contact info for FILA is found in a previous post on this blog.

The New Shirtless Friendly Directory

UPDATE:
The Shirtless Friendly Directory has moved to Wikia, making it easier to contribute!

Introducing the new Shirtless Friendly Directory. This site will host a listing of gyms, recreation facilities, etc that are friendly to shirtless patrons. If you are looking for a place to workout or play sports shirtless, this should be a good place to look for information. Check it out and share with your friends!

It's brand new, so we are looking for submissions. If you know of a gym or recreation facility that is shirtless friendly, please submit information for a listing to shirtlessfreedom@gmail.com. Please explain how you know the facility is shirtless-friendly (is it official policy, or have you visited the facility shirtless?), the degree of openness to shirtlessness (is shirtlessness allowed in some areas but not others? what percentage of other patrons are shirtless?), and when you verified this (were you there last week, or was it four years ago before you moved?). Businesses are also welcome to submit themselves for inclusion in the directory as well.