Olympic wrestling champion Balboshin describes his legendary grip strength

Nikolai Balboshin, a 1976 Olympic champion and five-time world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, discussed his exceptional grip strength in an interview. Balboshin explained that he could feel an opponent's strength through their handshake before matches, using it to gauge how difficult the bout would be. During wrestling matches, he would squeeze opponents' forearms so hard that it stopped blood flow and caused swelling. He recalled breaking a dynamometer during a medical examination after exceeding its 120-unit maximum capacity. In his autobiography, Balboshin described a memorable moment when he squeezed the King of Sweden's hand so hard during a 1977 medal ceremony that he heard the royal's fingers crunch. The wrestler noted that few people could withstand his palm pressure, and even strong trainers would eventually submit to his crushing handshake after several minutes.