U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trial Weekend in Iowa City: Your Guide to Trials and Fan Fest

It is the perfect fit in a lot of ways.

Wrestling as a sport goes back to the tradition of the original Olympic Games in Ancient Greece. While the University of Iowa has produced some of the greatest wrestlers of modern times, and the wrestling program has fan support that is difficult to rival anywhere else.

These two elements are going to be combined in a celebration of wrestling this weekend in Iowa City as the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials are held in Carver Hawkeye Arena. These trials will help determine which wrestlers will compete for the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

Olympic Trials Info

When: Saturday and Sunday. Morning sessions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (doors open at 8 a.m.); evening sessions from 6 to 9 p.m.

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena on University of Iowa campus in Iowa City.

Tickets: $15 for single session for kids up to $70 for all sessions for adults.

You can see a schedule of the weekend's matches here, buy tickets here, and read more information about the event here. And here is a map with some suggested areas for parking.

Traffic should be busy, and the bus schedule has been changed due to the event, but the city is offering free shuttle rides on Saturday and Sunday connecting the Olympic Trials held at Carver Hawkeye Arena to the Fan Fest held in downtown Iowa City. The shuttles will run from noon until 7 p.m. both days according to the city.

ASICS Fan Fest

When: Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m.

Where: Downtown Iowa City pedestrian mall.

What: Includes Patch.com Kids Zone, vendors, live music and rock climbing wall.

Cost: Free.

In addition to the wrestling trials, a fan festival sponsored by ASICS will be held right downtown. It will be on the pedestrian mall stretching from the fountain area next to the Sheraton Hotel to Washington Street. The festival will feature live music, merchandise vendors, a Patch.com sponsored kids zone (where we'll have a booth, so stop by and say hello), and a large structure provided by ASICS where would be athletes can test themselves in a 20′ rope climb, a peg board climb, and a reaction test.

If you're visiting from out of town, check out our directory to see some nice downtown places you could eat and shop in Iowa City.