I.I .: Igor, tell us about your vision of the existing problem of doping in armsport?

IM .: Regarding this issue, I would like to mention two important points. First of all, if the doping control exists, everyone should be checked, not selectively. Secondly, if these problems are not being dealt with, the existence of our discipline as a sport will be very questionable, and we will not be able to speak about armwrestling development at all!

Anti-doping program in the world - is like a struggle with alcoholism, drug addiction and other negative phenomena in human life. It is important that WAF and EAF have taken all possible methods to attract the attention of European funds, which provide various intergovernmental grants for the fight against doping in the maximum scale.

We have a huge number of athletes. If we check only first five places in each weight class at the World or European Championship - there should be 500 doping tests! Even at the Olympics in individual sports there are so many tests!

In countries such as Norway, Sweden, doping commission has the right to walk into any gym and select any athlete to test for doping! And the person in charge is liable under the law.

If there is a law in Russia, which punishes for doping, where is the law, which is aimed at the prevention of doping? We are threatening the athlete, but still leave him a chance to escape punishment! An athlete comes to a tournament with 1000 participants and knows that there are only 40 tests. This means that if there is a chance that the athlete escapes control, those measures are not enough!

If there are 500 tests, then everyone will be afraid to take risks! An athlete should feel responsibility to the Federation, his national Ministry of Sports or sponsor! The absence of doping control hinders the development of armwrestling, including professional division.

I.I .: Why doping control in armwrestling is covered by mystery?

IM .: There was a certain mystery. All over the world, doping tests are taken everywhere, and the results are being published as quickly as possible, the athletes and the federations are being suspended and notified immediately. We have all the procedure are kept in secret for months. As one of the armwrestling officials I'm sure that it happens unintentionally! Delay occurs due to the fact that the tests are taken and brought into one of the countries in which there are accredited laboratories. Then there are difficulties: the laboratory services are not payed on time, someone does not fulfill their basic responsibilities. It is sad, but the problem in the organization.

I.I .: What are the doping control prospects for amateur armwrestling?

IM .: Doping control should cover maximum number of athletes instead of just creation of an "appearance" of doping control. There is a Federation, there are WAF assistants responsible for doping control organization. There is still so many things to be done: education, prevention programs for athletes and more! People fail tests because of sports nutrition - because of the lack of minimal knowledge!

In the Pilot School, which I graduated, there is a rule to organize annual discussion of some industry critical problems. We have to go down the same path. We should turn the athletes’ attention to the changes in WADA lists, publicly discuss the situation and make recommendations for the prevention of future repetition of such mistakes by athletes that can cost them not only a career, but also health! As a person engaged in science, I am sure that our sport need education!

I.I .: Have the professional armwrestling to be "clean"?

IM .: Professional Armwrestling has more potential to be cleared of doping! There are two conducive factors: the limited number of athletes and contracts they are afraid to lose. What is the media space in the sport? We go out to a specific audience. Skinny young man who dreams of becoming a superman and seeing on television mountains of artificial muscles, is looking to buy a "miracle drugs", which you can purchase at every corner! People kill their body with "Doctor Syringe" training program and forget that effective training system can be replaced only by more effective training system! People should see only this king of training on TV! And professionals, that direct their example and their responsibility to shaping the positive image of armwrestling, can help to purify our sport of doping.

I.I: Do you think that armwrestling world is going to see new doping scandals?

I am sure there will be many! Many athletes have learned new tricks before the competition. Sooner or later, our sport will practice non-competition control, as Olympic does, and there will be more surprises.

I.I .: What doping cases remained in the memory of Don Mazurenko?

This year is the tenth anniversary of doping control in armwrestling.

The first who failed doping tests in your discipline are always memorable. The first was Artem Klimenko, who had loudly announce himself at international tournaments. Then we learned about the Alexei Semerenko positive test. For me, as for the organizers of the tournament it was a great loss! Then Farid Usmanov is being caught on the derivative substances, part of the sports nutrition (!). These events are the most memorable.

And we have to mention the Dzambolat Tsoriev disqualification for 10 years! The question is, will he be able to return to the armwrestling or not, it is still an open question.

We should focus on athletes education and prevention of using prohibited drugs for armwrestling stop loosing its stars, and help them to get to the highest level.

Ilya Izman