Olympic wrestling champion Balboshin describes legendary grip strength

Nikolai Balboshin, a 1976 Olympic champion and five-time world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, discussed his extraordinary grip strength in an interview. Balboshin explained that he could assess opponents' strength through handshakes before matches, and would deliberately squeeze their forearms during bouts to restrict blood flow and cause swelling. He recounted breaking a medical dynamometer that measured grip strength when it only went to 120, while other athletes typically registered 60-70. During a 1977 World Championship medal ceremony, Balboshin intentionally gave the King of Sweden a powerful handshake that he believed made the monarch's fingers crack, hoping to be remembered. He also described a training incident where he caused an opponent's arm to swell so badly the wrestler couldn't continue, shouting "arm is dead!" This grip technique became one of his signature competitive advantages throughout his career.