MENLO PARK, Calif. – Women will wrestle at the Olympics for the first time this year.
And wrestlers like 26-year-old Julie Gonzalez (search) and 18-year-old Sarah Allen (search) are among the several dozen American females fighting to earn one of four spots on the debut team. The contenders will be chosen this week in Indianapolis.
But the introduction of female Olympic wrestling isn’t without controversy: Some women will have to gain or lose weight to qualify for the games, since only four weight categories will be competing.
Lee Allen, who is Gonzalez’s coach and Allen’s father, said the sport has already been criticized for promoting weight loss, and he doesn’t think the new Olympic rules will help.
But having competed as an Olympic wrestler himself, Allen is thrilled to see women get their chance to go for the gold in a sport dominated by men.
Click here to watch a report by Fox News Channel's Claudia Cowan.
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