Olympic wrestling champion Nikolai Balboshin describes legendary grip strength

Five-time world champion and 1976 Olympic gold medalist Nikolai Balboshin has revealed details about his extraordinary hand strength in an interview. Balboshin described how he could judge opponents' strength through pre-match handshakes and would squeeze their forearms during matches to cut off blood flow, causing swelling and incapacitation. He recounted incidents where he left opponents unable to continue, with one wrestler's arm 'dying' during a match. During a medical examination, Balboshin squeezed a dynamometer past its 120-unit maximum and broke the device. In his autobiography, he detailed making a coach's fingers appear 'flattened' during a prolonged grip contest and causing the King of Sweden's hand to audibly crack during an awards ceremony in 1977.