The changes, due to come into effect from the start of next year, were given the green light at a series of meetings during the World Championships here.

It means this edition of the World Championships will be the last to be held under the current structure.

Greco-Roman is the most affected as all but one of the current categories have been altered.

Wrestlers in the discipline, considered the most ancient format of the sport, are competing in 59 kilograms, 66kg, 71kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, 98kg and 130kg here.

But that will change to 55kg, 60kg, 63kg, 67kg, 72kg, 77kg, 82kg, 87kg, 97kg and 130kg from January 1.

Freestyle will keep all their current Olympic and non-Olympic weight categories - 57kg, 61kg, 65kg, 70kg, 74kg, 86kg, 97kg and 125kg - but additional events will be added at 79kg and 92kg.

The lowest weight in women's wrestling will increase from 48kg to 50kg, while others have been altered by the Bureau.

Women currently participate in 48kg, 53kg, 55kg, 58kg, 60kg, 63kg, 69kg and 75kg.

The UWW has decided to change this to 50kg, 53kg, 55kg, 57kg, 59kg, 62kg, 65kg, 68kg, 72kg and 76kg.

UWW President Nenad Lalovic first touted the idea of an increase from eight to 10 weight categories in all of the wrestling disciplines last year.

In a statement, the UWW claimed the Bureau had chosen to implement "an overall moderate approach" as they were looking to "impact as few existing weight categories as possible".

Lalovic, a member of the International Olympic Committee, confirmed the changes would have no affect on the current Olympic categories across the three disciplines.

Wrestling at the Olympic Games features six categories rather than the eight which are included as part of UWW events.

The move will also add a further two competitions in each discipline to the World Championships for non-Olympic weights, held in the years where the main event does not take place.

"We made these changes to protect the athletes," Lalovic said.

"It is not healthy to have athletes dropping or putting on so much weight to make the weigh-in.

"It was necessary for us to do this."