Klaidas, how long are you in armwrestling?

– It’s around three and a half years now. Actually, I’ve been in love with the sports overall my whole life. I remember watching movies with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme or Stallone etc., and the way they looked just screamed strength. Basically, I wanted to be strong, fast, skillful. And I chased that, I was doing Judo at early age, later on started to playing water polo and played it for nearly ten years. Iron training in between as well. Football, basketball, anything.

Once I’ve actually tried armwrestling on a proper table I understood that’s what I’m chasing. The feeling was so unique and so familiar at the same time, I knew it. And so it began.

What does it give you (except hurting arms)?

– Sore arms indeed! Apart from that quite few friendships that I believe will last a lifetime. Many great memories indeed. It just made me stronger, not only physically.

What do you think is your most important achievement in armwrestling?

– It must be first national title, just because it’s first, it’s quite symbolic. But the most important is in the future, I have no doubt.

In a movie with Mindaugas after Zloty Tur you told the injury interrupted you to pull well. Do you think you are recovered to continue pulling?

– Lefty was giving me hard time since day one. Right hand. First serious one happened during WAL euro qualifiers. It was a match against Tom Holland. Both of us went really deep in the hook, too deep. I won that match somehow but the price was heavily strained elbow ligaments. Although I qualified for the finals. After that, I think it was 3 months until the finals in Las Vegas where I’ve injured my elbow again much harder, since that time I’m not the same.

Some might ask, what did you expect, 3 months isn’t enough to recover fully.  I knew it even back then, but it was like dream. Armwrestling finals in Las Vegas? Oh boy, I didn’t care. I was chasing my dream and just couldn’t let it go just like that. Our London Armwrestling Team president and coach, Killy Rus helped me a lot back then, I’m very grateful to him.

I took a gamble it didn’t pay off, it is what it is.  No surrender, that’s just another obstacle I have to beat.

I’m nowhere near to be fully recovered. Now my shape isn’t too good but it isn’t too bad either. You know, in order to get stronger, you have to push to your limits or beyond them, and it’s kind of impossible right now. I’m actually planning to take some reasonable time off after Senec, to heal the wounds, now it is what it is. We’ll see. Just don’t write me off.

You show good results at worlds and at Zloty Tur both. What do you think about the situation between WAF and PAL? Have you any idea how to solve the conflict?

– It’s a mess. Situation itself is just silly sad. Like everyone I hope they’ll compromise and find a solution.

You are going to pull at Senec Hand. Are you worrying about possible outcome?

– Now I’m worried about my weight, that is it.