XXII Armwrestling European Championships
13th-20th May 2012, Gdansk - Poland

Who form Koszalin will we be able to see at the Championships?

Jaroslaw Zwolak: 6 female juniors and one male junior were called up for this year’s Europeans. Three of the girls are experienced competitors who have started at World or European Championships many time and have chances for leading places. I mean here Natalia Kwiatkowska )she won the bronze at the European in Bulgaria and Russia), Natalia Stefaniak and Patrycja Ziarkiewicz. The rest are debutants.

Are the tournaments in Poland any special challenge?

Jaroslaw Zwolak: For me, as a “teacher” educational aspect connected with representing our country by young people is important. I hope that the specific atmosphere of the international tournaments will remain on their mind for long.

Where is the strength of Armwrestling in Koszalin taken from?

Jaroslaw Zwolak: UKS-16 club works by the Gymnasium no. 6 in Koszalin where I’m a PE teacher. Thanks to that I can encourage young people to Armwrestling. We have a fully equipped gym at school including arm wrestling devices. In my school this sport has been practiced since 2004. What’s interesting, it is especially popular among girls. All the test conducted at PE lessons facilitate my choice of students suitable for the sport. If there is someone who has good motor features – it will bear interests in sports achievements. It is the hardest to determine the mental features predisposing to fighting. Here what you need in a “trainer’s nose” while observing the first starts. I was practicing judo many year ago (black belt) and I also was a trainer. Thanks to that I’m familiar to the specificity of fighting.

It’s well said – “fighting”!

Jaroslaw Zwolak: Of course! Armwrestling is a 100% combat sport, not a strength discipline as many people think.

Are there only your students in the club?

Jaroslaw Zwolak: An average player is 13-16 years old. Of course I do not close the doors older ones. The number of players changes every year.

How do you train?

Jaroslaw Zwolak: Depending on the level of advance of the players, we train 2-4 times a week. As the tournaments are coming, trainings become shorter and more dynamic. There is also weight control. In case of overweight exercises using bikes, track, orbitreck and diet are included. Girls were recently working especially on wrists. The wrist is Achilles’ heel of our team.

Why?

Jaroslaw Zwolak: Girls simply do not like working on this muscle part.

Such a club would not be able to work without a support of the school, wouldn’t it?

Jaroslaw Zwolak: We get a great help! The headmaster of the Gymnasium, Mr Leopold Ostrowski has always been with us, and has always helped us to overcome all obstacles.

So thank the headmaster from armpower.net! Jarek, these will not be your first championships?

Jaroslaw Zwolak: Of course! I remember the Europeans that took place in Poland in 2004 in GOSIR in Gdynia. The Poles won 5 medals there. However the ones I remember best are the ones on 2005 form Sofia. Then, probably for the first time we went to the Europeans as a big team, the whole bus. We won the European junior team vice championship then. I will be really hard to repeat that success.

What do you think of the chances of our team?

Jaroslaw Zwolak: The ones who have chances for medal are: Marlena Wawrzyniak, Igor Mazurenko, Andrzej Glabala. There are some other people who are very strong and technically skilful and they can reach the podium. But we will see soon. As for the team classification... it has been this way for long and it won’t change soon: Russia, Ukraine, Turkey. For us, the place in the first five would be a huge success. Maybe the fact that we are the host will have a positive influence on our representatives.

What kind of tournaments do you expect?

Jaroslaw Zwolak: From the organizational point of view we will go well for sure. Especially because the organizational level of the Polish Championships (for example the ones in Grudziadz) is often higher than the level of some European or World Championships. Properly written starts lists, information shown on screens – who fights, who should be getting ready, proper stage and proper setting of the tables so that as well referees as supporters could see what’s happening at the table, proper lightening, participation certificates etc. Igor Mazurenko is a perfect manager, by the way with Marcin Mielniczuk they help other countries as Bulgaria in the final part of organizational preparations of the tournaments of the rank. The place of conducting the rivalry – sports hall of AWFiS –Gdansk is a modern building that can seat up to 2000 people, has great audiovisual and multimedia system and professional sounding system.

At AWF you will feel like at home, won’t you?

Jaroslaw Zwolak: AWF Gdansk is really close to me, as many years ago, at the time of dinosaurs running around the Oliva forest I used to study there.

See you in Gdansk!

Jaroslaw Zwolak: I give my regards to all the armwrestlers and see you at the Europeans!

PeSzy