24.04.2020
Our desire to turn armwrestling into a regular SPORT did not cease. The year 1995 began with the first announcement of the most successful athletes in armwrestling, which was later renamed the TOP5. Something unprecedented in our sport; once again, we were ahead of the world. In the first year of the poll, we evaluated the five most successful armwrestlers without a specific ranking. For the year 1994, the five most successful armwrestlers based on their results were J. Durec, J. Germánus, P. Gazdarica, M. Kondášová, and R. Škvarek. We continued building the membership base and establishing clubs. By the end of 1995, we had 13 registered clubs.
There were no major changes in the domestic competition calendar. We continued to organize competitions included in the Slovak Cup. In 1995, individual rounds took place in Svätoplukovo, Bánovce nad Bebravou, Martin, and Pezinok. The Slovak Championships visited Poprad for the first time. There were also regional qualifying competitions and the Slovak Grand Prix, which we organized in Senec after the original organizer withdrew. It was the last Slovak Grand Prix; since 1996, we have known this competition under its new name - Senecká ruka (Senec Hand). Thanks to our contacts in Europe, we had high-quality international participation at the Grand Prix. National teams from Bulgaria, Czechia, and Germany visited Senec. The biggest star of the event was C. Gaševski, now a legend of world armwrestling. He presented himself in his best form in Senec and returned to Senecká ruka several more times.
A rarity was the competition in Považská Bystrica, where upon arrival, we were met with a notice at the entrance that the competition was cancelled! We quickly contacted the organizer, and after a short negotiation, we averted the problem, and the competition eventually took place.
Regular competitions caused random armwrestling enthusiasts to gradually become hard-training athletes who met regularly at events. From them, based on results, a narrow elite emerged that formed the core of the Slovak national team. Alongside known names like J. Durec and P. Gazdarica, armwrestlers from Lendak appeared on the scene - the Petras and Gallik brothers, who burst onto the domestic scene like a hurricane and dominated the lighter categories for a while. For the first time, only 15-year-old R. Dobrovič appeared at a competition and won immediately. His quick reaction and lightning start became known worldwide. Rado, as the only one from that era, has been armwrestling without interruption to this day.
The SAPR president knew well that for a successful national team, we had to start working with the youth. Silná ruka (Strong Hand - first organized in 1994) was the first project to engage high school students. But more was needed. And so, as early as 1995, we organized the first Slovak Junior Championships (Ivanka pri Dunaji). The first Slovak junior champions were P. Jarombek and R. Dobrovič. Until then, junior competitions were not organized in the world (at least we didn't know about them), and if we weren't the first to come up with them, we were certainly among the first. The only country that could have surpassed us is Russia, but available information about organizing junior competitions in Russia is missing.
A major change in promoting armwrestling was the publication of the internal magazine Slovenský ARMWRESTLING. The idea was born during the European Championships in Moscow, where I got hold of the ArmBender magazine published in the USA. If the Americans can do it, why can't we? I immediately told the president, and the idea took hold. I published the first issue of SA in June 1995, and two more were released by the end of the year. In every issue, I tried to fit in results, reports from competitions, news, and information. I wrote, did the graphics, later took photos, and printed it—basically everything as a one-man show. After publishing the first issue, I felt immense joy and pride that the idea became a reality after a few weeks.
In 1995, the European Championships were held in Moscow (RUS). The championship took place alongside the professional Golden Bear tournament. Slovakia was represented at the EC by J. Durec, J. Petras, and J. Škvarek. The Russians approached the organization of the EC grandiosely. A visit to the Ostankino television tower (where I even managed to perform), a city tour, the organization of the competition, and the finals of the EC winners and the Golden Bear in the Moscow Circus were an unforgettable experience. And very successful for us. Right away, the EAF congress ended with an unexpected success for Slovakia. In the elections for the EAF Executive Committee, SAPR President Milan Čapla was elected Vice-President. After one year of EAF membership, it was a huge recognition and appreciation of our work. Another success was awarding the hosting of the 7th EC to Slovakia (1997). Our joy was immense, amplified by the "standing ovation" of the congress after the announcement of our winning bid. From a dwarf and a timid newcomer, we became a respected partner and even a leader on the European scene within a year.
Only one thing was missing for complete happiness - a medal. The competition in Moscow was enormous. The local Russians and Georgians reigned in the men's categories. To our great joy, Jožko Durec fought for a medal. He initially failed to make weight and had to compete in the +110 kg category, where he looked like a tiny tot. Despite the weight handicap, he fought bravely and won "only" a bronze medal for us, but for us, it had the value of gold.
As I mentioned, after the conclusion of the EC, a grand finale was held (European champions vs. Golden Bear winners), which was a great show the likes of which we had never seen. In the Moscow Circus, attractions alternated with armwrestlers. The super-final became a disaster for the pros from the Golden Bear, who lost 15:1.
The World Championships that year were held in Campinas, Brazil. Slovakia was represented by P. Gazdarica and J. Durec. Despite their efforts, they did not bring home a medal from this championship. The WC in Campinas thus became the only major event (EC, WC) from which Slovaks did not bring home a single medal. The championship itself was grueling. They competed at night, and the athletes reached the hotel at 4:00 AM at the earliest! However, the atmosphere was unique; armwrestling is very popular in Brazil, and more than 4,000 fans came to cheer at the competition.