Dmitry, tell me how successfully did you heal the injury?

- I healed the injury well, there is a slight inconvenience, but doctors said everything will pass with time and I can already fully train.

How much time did you spend on treatment, how much on recovery?

- It took six months to heal the shoulder, now I stand at the table and fully fight.

Have you already returned to your condition of the level of the last Zloty Tur?

- I didn’t return to the condition of the Zloty Tur, I just started training, but by the next tournament I will be even stronger.

Do you consider this injury a consequence of a technical error, and can this be avoided in the future?

- Dislocation of the shoulder which I got, is an accident there was no dangerous situation. Apparently, it should have happened. For 12 years of training, it was the worst injury for me ... But on the other hand, I took a good break, and now small injuries do not bother me, I can fully prepare.

What are your plans for competitive armwrestling, where do you plan to pull in the future?

- I plan to fly with Laletin to the second stage of Top-8, to support my friend and to pull in parallel at the tournament, which will be held after the Top-8, and at the Zloty Tur itself. I have such plans for 2019.

Please comment on the results of the past first stage of the Top-8. Was everything so expected for you or did someone surprise you?

- Prudnik surprised and Ongarbayev. Evgeniy showed a new shape of a heavyweight. Ongarbayev surprised me because he was physically weaker and had little time to prepare for Kurdecha, but he managed to translate the course of five rounds to his side. I convinced not once that he is a smart athlete.

What pairs would you like to see in the second stage of the Top-8?

- I would like to see a fight of Laletin-Prudnik. Repeat armfight Bresnan-Babayev.

Can you make your prediction for the final Top-8?

- Looking at the form in which Vitaly is now, I would put 50% on him, and on Levan as much. Prudnik may be surprised if he shows the form even better than in the first stage of Top-8. Much of this four will depend on luck.

Do you have a rival to whom you compare yourself and set a goal to defeat him?

- I have never had an athlete to compare. Each person is an individual and must choose his own path. We are all different and I see no reason to compare myself with any person. And what about the rivals - I would like to pull with Todd, with Kvikvinia, and in a year or two with Chaffee.

Who do you think is the “coolest” armwrestler, regardless of time and category, and do you have an idol?

- I have no idol, but one of the best athletes of the past is for me John Brzenk. And at the moment I consider Saginashvili, Tsyplenkov, Laletin, Kvikvinia, Chaffee as good sportsmen, it would be cool to see them all in the Top-8, but overseas athletes have certain obligations that they cannot pull all the time.

How do you spend your free time from training and work?

- I spend my free time with friends, outside the city I like to rest, barbecues, a sauna and everything that follows from here.

What advice would you give to beginners and amateur athletes?

- The main thing is to set a goal clearly, and not to give up ahead of time, every day you will become stronger. In fact, sport hardens your character, it hardens you in the future, and in life it will be easier to deal with any difficult situations.