Men's freestyle wrestling competition began in the Olympics in 1904.
FILA began holding World Championships in men's freestyle in 1951.
During Olympic years, FILA suspends the World Championships.
Tsarist Russia did not send freestyle wrestlers to the Olympics for the country authorities didn't recognize the sport back then (only Greco-Roman or French wrestling as it was known then was widely practised and contested in the Russian Empire.)
The Soviet Union began competing in freestyle wrestling at the 1952 Summer Olympics.