Since some time we can notice the increasing interest of competitors over 40 years old on the Polish armwrestling field. We mean here masters and grand masters. At this year’s 10th Polish Cup FitMax Cup - Starogard Gdański 2009, which took place on the 27th and the 28th of November 2009 on sports-event OSiR hall in Starogard Gdański , 13 masters including 11 men and 2 women took part in. And their starts repeatedly embarrassed much earlier colleagues.

It is similar with the development of the sports discipline in the disabled environment. There were 10 competitors including 8 men and 2 women registered to start at this year’s Polish Cup.

The competitors over 40 year old started in two men classes (up to 90kg and +90kg) and one women class (open) during this year’s Polish Cup in Starogard Gdański. Whereas for the competitors over 50 year old, so grand masters the organizers prepared one men – grand masters open class. The disabled competitors had the opportunity to try their hands in two men classes (up to 80kg and +80kg) and one women class – open. And how does the rivalry in particular weight classes looked like?  Read the short relation of the 10th Polish Cup -Starogard Gdański 2009 below.

MASTERS AND GRAND MASTERS

So let’s start with msters class. Two competitors: Bożena Cichopek from Jaworzno and Jadwiga Lewandowska from Gdyna applied for this year’s rivalry among women. Both of the competitors are the part of Polish Armwrestling lead of this weight class for some time. The competitor from Jaworzno has however a bit longer training time. It could be seen during the rivalry of left hand open class where Bożena beat much heavier competitor from Gdynia in the cup-final. On the other hand in the right hand rivalry Jadwiga Lewandowska from Gdynia turned to be better. It is a pity that other women at this age do not cling to this sports discipline. But I think that the situation will change soon. Yet armwrestling is gathering more and more competitors of masters class from year to year.
Among men – masters and grand masters I noticed the significant increase of sports skills. It is blindingly obvious that the men spend a lot of their free time on armwrestling trainings. Because of their age and experience, all of the participants of these classes deserve attention. But the most attention should be paid to the medalists of particular weight classes.

So let’s start with the lower masters class – up to 90kg. As well for left as fro right hand, only one competitor came back home with two medals - Wojciech Waleśko from Warsaw ranked first for left hand and second for right hand. The rest of masters of this weight class had to be satisfied with one cup medal. The second place for left hand (5th for right) won the debutant of the Polish Cup Krzysztof Tur from Warsaw. Krzysztof began his Armwrestling and serious starts adventure at this year’s Polish Championships in Żary in April. After less than a half of the year of hard work he managed to reach the podium of such great all-Poland tournaments. The third place for left hand got Andrzej Hymer from Koszalin (7th place for right hand). In the right hand rivalry, after the rest and rehabilitation of the hand “forever young” Andrzej Skóra from Bydgoszcz ranked first. Grzegorz Piotrzkowski from Starogard Gdański ranked third. The representative of Bydgoszcz - Paweł Lasota presented the equalized starts at this year’s cup. In the left and right hand rivalry he ranked 4th - just behind the podium.

In  +90kg masters  and grand masters open class three of the competitors: Andrzej Głąbała from Gdynia, Stanisław Gralak from Bydgoszcz and  Konstanty Królik from Warsaw crossed the podium. For the next time,the experienced competitor of Złoty Tur club from Gdynia - Andrzej Głąbała appeared to be the best of this age group. Easily defeating all of the participants of left and right hand of both age groups he came back home with 4 gold medals. Watching Andrzej’s fights with other competitors I may say that his rivals have to practice a Little bit to reach the experienced armwrestler from Gdynia. Stanisław Gralak from Bydgoszcz came back home with 4 medals, just as Andrzej did, be he got 3 silver and one bronze medal (the silver for left hand masters, grand masters and right hand masters class, and the brown for right hand grand masters class).  The third of the leaders of the weight and age class Konstanty Królik from Warsaw had to satisfy himself with 3 brown medals and a silver one (the brown for left hand masters, grand masters and right hand masters class, and the silver for right hand grand masters class).


DISABLED AT THE POLISH CUP 2009

I can tell you only one Hing about disabled classes: women open classes were seized by two competitors from Żary: Bubel Karolina and Ficner Ewelina, Karolina, who came back home with 2 gold medals turned to be better each time, whereas Ewelina had to enjoy  2 silver medals.
Whereas in men classes the most experienced competitors, multiple medalists of national and international field became Maciej Gralak from Bydgoszcz (gold left and right hand of up to  80 kg class) and  Bartosz Jakubowski (gold for left and right hand of + 80 kg class) became the best of the best . During the cup rivalry (the competitors fought sitting) the great experience predominance of these sports men above other competitors of their weight classes was visible.

Also  Gałęziowski Marcin from Żary (2nd place for left and 3rd place for right hand)  and  Senk Grzegorz  (3rd place for left hand and 2nd for right hand) had very good starts of up to 80kg class. In +80kg class apart from Bartosz Jakubowski also Konstanty Królik from Warsaw (2nd for left hand and 3rd for right hand) and constantly getting better Dziemidowicz Bartosz from Żary (3rd for left hand and 2nd for right hand) had very good starts. Congratulations!

Each time the armwrestling tournaments of this kind take place I am really pleased to describe masters and disabled rivalry. Thanks to those sports men we prove that armwrestling is almost for everyone. And that’s what I would like to thank them for.

Comment the article on:  http://www.sfd.pl   in armwrestling section.