摘要:The aim of this study was to establish the trend of beginning age, years of experience and peak performance age of wrestlers who won their first European Championships’ (ECh) medal in the period from 2002 to 2012, and to determine probable differences in those parameters between the weight categories. The study was conducted on a sample of 180 wrestlers. Winners of ECh medals began with wrestling at the age of 10.27±2.79 years, they had had 14.61±4.02 years of wrestling experience before they won a medal and they won the medal at the age of 24.86±3.29 years. The obtained statistical differences (p 2007, 2011, and age 2004>2006, 2007, 2010, 2011. Differences between weight categories are: beginning: 120>60, 66, 74, 84, 96; age of experience 55 experience and peak performance age are significantly correlated variables. In the lightest and the heaviest weight categories the wrestlers began with wrestling at a later age and the period of wrestling before winning the first medal is shorter. In heavier categories it was necessary to reach mature wrestling age. This study offers wrestling coaches a precise set of information on when to begin with wrestling and at which age one can expect a wrestler to win the first major competition in accordance with his weight category.