Olympic wrestling champion Balboshin recalls legendary grip strength

Five-time world champion and 1976 Olympic gold medalist Nikolai Balboshin discussed his extraordinary hand and grip strength in an interview. Balboshin described how he would squeeze opponents' forearms during matches until the blood flow stopped and their arms swelled. He could determine an opponent's strength level immediately from their handshake before matches. In one training incident, a competitor's arm became so compromised the wrestler couldn't continue and yelled that his arm was "dead." Balboshin broke a dynamometer at a medical clinic when it maxed out at 120 and he squeezed beyond its capacity. At the 1977 World Championships, he deliberately gave the King of Sweden a memorably strong handshake during the medal ceremony, hearing the king's fingers crunch and receiving an acknowledging smile in return.