This year's championships have brought many surprises with them. The exciting fight of the world star of armwrestling in left arm has wowed the audience. Everyone was also impressed with the “young” armwrestling star – juniors category master of the world, Pushkar's student – Igor Pasieka.

Let's look at the details and analyze it.

Our heroes had a tough confrontaion in the eliminations in the up to 90 kg category. We could see their readiness to start from the very beginning, with Prudnik trying to overcome Igor's brachioradialis, using supination of the wrist and side pressure. But Pasieka also showed his skill – a readiness to start from defense and maintaining a correct angle for defense and attack. This shows a lot of maturity in this sportsman, and readiness to face better opponents.

Evgenyi Prudnik: before the championships, I have watch Igor fight Spartak Zoloyev. Looking at their fight one could notice that Igor is very well prepared. I also fought Zoloev and I predicted that this fight might take long, but I assumed i'd be the stronger one. But then I realised that Igor was no less prepared.

Igor Pasieka: I can say that the start is not my strongest part of the fight, but I usually try to start first, to enforce my style from the get go. My general preparatedness for starting is more mental than physical. First we hear “start”, then we activate. I sometimed use expanders to train my start, I also like to train explosive starts on the pulley. It's more interesting than expanders. I did a lot of preparation for meeting Prudnyk, he's already a champion. I trained to be able to enforce my style and be able to face him. And I think it worked!

From the second the fight started, Pasieka started his counterattack, showing his form was no worse that the master's. In fifth second, we could already see that Prudnyk was ready to defend, using half-pronation of forearm and adding his powerful bicep to the mix.

In the 21^st second, Evgenyi is still counetring, side pressuring Igor's arm, maintaining angle between arm and forearm. Pasieka in his turn is trying to use force and frontal defense with tricep. But Prudnyk can use every inch of omvement and we can see in th 29^th second that Evgenyi is also using tricep to break Pasieka's defense.

Evgenyi Prudnyk: There is no actual inchwork, it can be achieved with exercises in over the top and hook. I don't work on inching, most of my experience in this type of fight comes from tournaments, where I use various techniques.

Igor Pasieka: Tactical replanning during a fight is no piece of cake. You must clearly asess the situation, one false move and the fight is over for you. I try to work on that in sparring, because nothing helps as much as sparring with stronger partners. You keep looking for weakness, improvise with choice of techniques to try and surprise the other guy and win. Even if they suspect you are!

In the 37^th second Evgenyi, risking Pasieka's counter, uses a radical move and attacks Igor's wrist, twice in a row.

Then he again uses triceps! As we could see, Pasieka wasn't prepared for that, so he skips Evgenyi's attack, which sweeps his elbow from the pad.

Evgenyi Prudnyk: I apply more time in training to techniques and strenght factors to this method, but I also give ample time to over the top. I analyze my videos, and then I decide what to work the most on. I train both attack and defense. Talking of proportions in techniques – I use 70% of time for hook and 30% for over the top.

Igor Pasieka: I tried to learn Evgenyis's technique before the championships, and I think wrist attack is his main move. And it's a great move, too. My training was aimed more at defense, because I assumed i'd be doing a lot of it. I wasn't wrong, it helped a lot.

Fight after foul. Evgenyi is attacking with hook. Igor is very tired, he must defend against forearm supination, the weight on his bicep is getting heavier.

From the 8^th second Pasieka, exceptionally resilient, goes tactical, balances his strenght and gets back to the middle of the table.

Prudnyk: Speaking of igor's resilience, I used various methods of pressure, but I felt his force aimed at one point, the whole time. That's why I thought he had only one move prepared. He has the greatest resiliency!

Pasieka: What can I say – resilience is what it is! After the fight I was sure I chose the right technique to train. I could fight this long thanks to regular training with my coach, Andrey Pushkar, which i'm very thankful to him for. I fought him for 20 – 30 secs, regularily.

In the 20^th second a real seesaw has begun! All could see that they went all out, with all they had. 25^th second

and Prudnyk is working with triceps again, but all could see he cannot pronate efficiently.

In 33^rd second, Pasieka is desperately trying to “break” Prudnyk and pin him, but he lets Evgenyi counter, and the master knocks Igor's angle and attacks toward his own side, and then with tricep again.

Prudnyk: I tried to get the guy confused. I felt that if I don't change my vectors, I wouldn't be able to get past him. I was fueled with adrenaline; I understood I had to act. If I hadn't, I'd be working against much more strength from Pasieka, and the score might have been different.

Pasieka: I see I've made a lot of mistakes, but the biggest mistake was not using the opponent's technique. I think that would have been the best and most successful technique. To every action there is a recation. In my case, I've lost the attacks, because I had to defend most of the time.

Having the chance to, we've asked the stars of this fight about their plans for the season.

Prudnyk: I plan to fight in all the major world events: Worlds, Europeans, A1, armfights in the USA. At the end of this year there may be a Professionals' World Cup.

Pasieka: I plan to win the Ukrainians in junior category, and in the future I'd like to take the podium in the Worlds and Europeans, in juniors and seniors.
 

The hard won victory of Prudnyk should be a signal before the Worlds and Europeans, because the new weight category might hold some surprises from the more famous and experienced rivals.

The last word remains to be spoken in this exciting fight, and we are certain to watch those very talented fighters many more times.

Ilya Izman