At the last European Championship, during drug tests, a forbidden substance was found in Victor’s blood. He is now facing the threat of being disqualified. But in the light of recent events, Victor has been allowed to wrestle. The substance was just a medication prescribed to Victor. It’s documented that the substance is necessary for Victor’s wellbeing, and not to enhance his performance. We hope that truth prevails in this case and we will see Victor at the armwrestling table.

Many controversies surround the idea of creating a separate tournament system for the disabled. What is your opinion on the impact of this idea on disabled armwrestling?

Everything that is new, scares us! We got used to the idea of competing arm in arm with the disabled. Now it’s hard to imagine competing separately. But a separate organization could help us realize an old dream – Paralympics! Not many of us realize the benefits of this innovation. First there’s the medical qualifications, only then can one think of competing. From this moment on, there will be no “random” contestants with serious ailments. Classification will be obligatory for everyone, as in Paralympics. Secondly, sight and hearing impaired will also be allowed to start. Almost every sport has a separate federation for the disabled, specialized in caring for them. I really hope we are going in the right direction.

You are the most distinguished Belarussian armwrestler. Tell me, what does Belarussian armwrestling need to enter the international arena?

I gave many thoughts to the subject… We have many experienced contestants, but not many young people in this sport, so the stats are not that great. We also lack experience in competing in the big league events. Few of us can take on the best of the world, and without competition, there’s no progress. A few starts in the international arena a year could create an important stimulus for Belarussian armwrestling.

What does armwrestling need to get better recognition? To increase broadcast reception all over the world?

First of all, we need broadcast by all the major sports stations all over the world. For that, we need money. That’s why the A-1 tournament and such people as Nikolai Miszta are a great thing to happen to our sport. It’s great that Miszta is serving the disabled cause. Of course, we also have to mention Igor Mazurenko, the godfather of armwrestling. His role in our sport is huge!

You fought in Nemiroff once, what was your greatest triumph there, and what was your biggest failure?

Winning the 2005 finals was very memorable for me. After the bronze medal in 2004, this was a great success. As for traumatic experiences, I don’t remember any – it’s Nemiroff, only positive emotions.

What is Nemiroff to you?

It’s the pinnacle of armwrestling, not only in the aspect of organization and presentation, but also the contestants. If all the major events were like Nemiroff, the number of the sport’s fans would increase. Anyone’s professional success van be judged by their performance on Nemiroff.

Do you agree that Cyplenkov will be undefeatable in the oncoming Nemiroff?

I don’t see any competition for Denis, not only in Nemiroff, but in any other competition. Unless Andrey Pushkar pulls an upset. I’ve met Denis on a tournament in Kharkov, in 2005, where he weighed “only” 120kg. He had hardcore bouts with Taras Ivakin and Aleksey Semerenko. Recently Denis put on some weight and has trained his technique. I think this will be enough for him to take the open category in Nemiroff.

Next year we’ll have the armfight Cyplenkov – Larratt. Could you make a prediction on the outcome of the 6 rounds? Who would win and why?

After the Pushkar – Larrat, nothing could surprise me anymore. Denis needs a chance to show the world who’s number one. Denis’s victory will be the best proof of his power. Larrat’s best shot is to put his weight on Cyplenkov’s fingers right from the start, and keep on pushing. In theory that works great, but in reality … Let’s hope that our expectations will not outgrow the fight itself.

What’s the secret of your achievements in armwrestling? Not many Belarussian professionals earned the spotlight.

It’s no secret. Just get a space to work out and train, train, train. A big plus for me was that in my category there were people like Lubomir Yagneshak, Timur Bichilov and the Khamidulliny brothers. I won gold and silver in World Cup 2002, brown and gold in 2003. When we entered in seniors category, all of us were European and world champions. They were awesome bouts! When we have a particular opponent to prepare for, progress is much faster.

Your achievements are truly impressive. What names would you like to add to your list? Who else would you like to defeat?

There were many interesting fights and victories in my career, but you need to be a realist. My best years were my gold years at the World Cup. A lot has changed since then. Now I compete more with injuries than with rivals. After the decision to run a tournament for the disabled I’ll get a chance to compete with non-disabled contestants “fresh”, without being tired from two days of bouts.

What are the main pros of armwrestling?

Sport gives great motivation. When you feel confident in sport, you feel the same in everyday life. I’m 28 years old now, I’ve been armwrestling for 13 years. You could say that I’ve been a sportsman my whole life. There’s a saying – “Sport is the life, live it with pride”.

Artur Grigorjan