How did you spend your time in your period of disqualification? Did you train or do something entirely different?

I didn’t train. I took care of other things, had more time for my business and to make money. As for regenerating my arms, I had no training for two years, then I decided to prepare for A1, but all injuries I had still hurt.

How is your left arm? How why did the old injuries return? And what’s their outcome?

All injuries come from overstraining during training. I always gave my maximum, pushed myself to the extreme. My left arm got injured on the pulley, I don’t remember what record weight I had on it. I got so carried away I hadn’t even noticed pain. My arm couldn’t regenerate properly, and then an MRI showed that I had inflammation of epicondyle. I continued to train and the inflammation went on. I can do some light weights, but the pain keeps on coming back. I’ve been worried about my left arm for the past 4 years. I started therapy with just simple ointments, but it ended up being treated with hormones. It’s all gone bad around the joint and ligaments.

Before you were disqualified, you fought in 100 kg, what’s your weight now?

When I finally decide to go back to the sport, it will be 100 kg, of course, although now I’m about 104 – 105 kg. As for the upcoming A1, I won’t be there for sure, I don’t have time to train now. But I would like to go to the WC’s - it all depends on president Filimonov and on Petrov. If they can get me a place in any category for my historic wins, even 110 kg, I want to go.

Will you be fighting in amateurs or pros at the RC’s, Europeans or Worlds?

I’ve made a final decision to fight in amateurs. I want to fight in Malaysia in Worlds, or Europeans next year, and then I plan to go pro. I want to fight with my team again, raise the Russian flag, hear the anthem. I miss the emotions, so I’ll fight in amateurs once more and then focus on pros. But it all depends, for example on Igor Mazurenko, if he invites me to armfights. I would like that very much.

This year there are two big world events – A1 and Nemiroff. Will you fight?

I won’t go to A1, I had no time to prepare. I will go to Nemiroff though. It’s my favorite tournament and I want to fight in pro there.

Would you like to fight in armfights?

Of course, I said in all my interviews that I think armfights are the true test of strength. They are a priority for me. I won all my armfights.

Which American would you like to fight?

In right only, because of my injury in the left, but I would like to face Michael Todd. He beat Andrey Pushkar and other strong guys, so this is an interesting fight for me to have. But to get back into pro, I’d like to fight Todd Hutchings, because before I was disqualified he said he would win, although I always beat him and he never won. So if I get back to pro this year, I’d like to face Todd Hutchings in his category, up to 100 kg.

Nastya Goncharenko