Women's freestyle wrestling will make its inaugural debut at the 2004 Olympic Games this summer in Athens, the only addition to the sporting program.
Canada's Christine Nordhagen-Vierling, the most successful women's wrestler in the world and a pioneer in the sport, headlines a strong Canadian team. She's earned six world titles and eight world championship medals overall.
She is a physical education teacher and assistant wrestling coach at Ernest Manning High School in Calgary.
She took up wrestling 12 years ago as a student at the University of Alberta. Within a few months she was at her first nationals and in 1994 earned her first world title.
A knee injury cost her several months of competition and training through 2002 and 2003. Her coach is husband Leigh Vierling, a former national wrestling champion. She competes in 72 kilos category.
