Olympic wrestling champion Nikolai Balboshin describes legendary grip strength

Five-time world champion and 1976 Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling Nikolai Balboshin discussed his exceptional grip strength in an interview. Balboshin explained that he would judge opponents' strength during the pre-match handshake, and during matches he would squeeze opponents' forearms so hard that blood flow stopped and their hands would swell. He recounted breaking a dynamometer that measured grip strength after exceeding its 120-unit maximum. In one sparring session, he squeezed an opponent's arm so severely that the wrestler collapsed and couldn't continue, shouting "arm is dead!" Balboshin also described making a coach's fingers appear "flattened" after a prolonged handshake battle. In his autobiography, he wrote about his "signature" crushing handshake and claimed he made the King of Sweden's fingers crunch during an award ceremony at the 1977 World Championships, hoping the king would "remember this moment for life."