Anna Granatowa, category 50 kg, Lvov

I found armwrestling by pure chance in 2006. I was doing weightlifting at the time. Then an armwrestling table was installed in my club and I gave it a try. I instantly fell in love with armwrestling. Soon after I entered in the Ukrainian championship, in junior category under 18 years. I won 3^rd place. Not many people in a weightlifting club had much idea about training for armwrestling, so real progress took some time for me. The real deal started when I transferred to a professional armwrestling club.

In 2012 I won Ukrainian Championships, in categories : junior under 21 years, both hands, and seniors. Armwrestling gave me a lot – it’s my favorite pastime, keeps me fit and self-assured, gives me strength and purpose. It’s a sport with a lot of potential. Every year the number of contestants is growing, it’s a spectator’s sport, easy to understand even for a layman. There is no age limit. There are much fewer women than men, though. I think that’s because, stereotypically, it’s such a “male” sport. Also, women are afraid of becoming muscled freaks. Experienced female arm wrestlers know that’s not an issue, that most women in the sport are considered very attractive and feminine. I hope that this stereotype will fall soon. Lvov armwrestling scene is one of the best in Ukraine. And I’m talking quality, not quantity. Only the best can enter the Ukrainian Championships and major international events. For example – 7 people from Lvov entered this year’s Ukrainian Championship in junior category. They brought back 10 medals and placed 3^rd as a team. That’s something, isn’t it?

Anastasia Goncharenko, 55 kg, Kremlin

In 2008 a friend of mine won a local competition. The whole school congratulated him on an official school ceremony. I didn’t even know such sport existed, so I decided to ask him about it. Vitaly took me to his gym. I can still remember my first training. It was all so hard. To this day I remember Andrey Sharkov’s words. I couldn’t do a pull up, and he still made me get on the bar. I said “I can’t, I don’t want to and I won’t”. He replied “You don’t want to? Well then go get changed and get out, I don’t want to see you again. With this attitude, you’ll never be a professional!”. My character wouldn’t let me leave, though. I made an angry face, but I shut up and stayed. I tried again and again, my small record is 60 pull ups.

Thanks to my character and my coach I learned to overcome my weaknesses and always aspire to be the best. The boxers at the club motivated me further in spite of their intentions, telling me that it wasn’t a real sport, that I have no chance of getting further than local. I was so infuriated with that, that I went to world championship in 2009 and brought back 2 brown medals.

I believe the sport to be no less spectacular than any other. I love the atmosphere of tournaments, that we create with the organizers. Every contestant gives their all at the table, as if it was their last fight ever. I cannot remember any tournament without a spectacular men’s bout. Some women bouts were very impressive too. I think we all remember Marina Putkaradze’s fight during European Championship. A lot depends also on the work of the operators. Contestants’ efforts + work of operators = spectacular armwrestling shows.

Viktoria Iliushina, 55 kg, Kharkov
I started wrestling when I visited a tournament, by pure chance. I started training right away. I won a prize my very first tournament. As for the World Championship – I had some very strong rivals in my category. For my final fight I got a Brazilian contestant. Kris always puts on a show. We had a break up, but I felt her all the time. She deserves highest praise, despite her age she can still get to the finals. All the problems of Ukrainian armwrestling stem from financial deficits. If it wasn’t for the money, our juniors could progress faster and more people would be able to go to world championships.

Dyachenko Oksana , +70kg, Vinograd.

My strong arms were noticed way back, when I was in high school. I was always the best with the bar, I left even boys behind. And when I saw “Over The Top”, we started to copy the movies’ characters and fight. Armwrestling was soon after introduced in local competitions and I started to compete. I think girls nowadays fear armwrestling because of the huge arms. It’s hard to explain to them, that huge biceps are not a requirement. True, in heavier weights it is a necessary requisite, but it’s not so in lighter categories. I think it’s a girl as well as a boy sport, it’s all a matter of spirit. There are only a few women my age in armwrestling, probably because it’s a relatively young discipline. When we were growing up, many women chose different interests, armwrestling wasn’t well known. I have two kids now, but armwrestling is never in the way of the family. Without the support of my kids and my husband I would never get this far !
 

Anastazja Kisiliewa