Nikolai Balboshin, a 1976 Olympic champion and five-time world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, recounted stories about his exceptional grip strength in an interview. He described how he would squeeze opponents' forearms during matches until their hands swelled, allowing him to judge their strength during pre-match handshakes. Balboshin once broke a dynamometer at a medical clinic after exceeding its maximum reading of 120, while other athletes were registering 60-70. He also recalled gripping a training partner's arm so hard during practice that the man couldn't continue, shouting that his arm was "dead." In his autobiography, Balboshin revealed that he deliberately gripped the King of Sweden's hand hard enough to make his fingers crunch during a 1977 World Championship medal ceremony, believing the monarch would remember him for life.
