Igor Mazurenko

Professional activity

Prominent figure in the world of amateur and professional arm wrestling; athlete; trainer and consultant; manager of the World Championships in professional arm wrestling; entrepreneur, producer; publisher and journalist.

Family and place of birth

Igor Mazurenko was born in Balakleya, Ukraine. He is married and has three children: Karina, Nina and Nicholas. His wife Anna Mazurenko works in the family business and in the structures of the Polish and European Arm wrestling.

Education

Medical school in Cherkassy, Ukraine (1984-1985); Vocational school in Moscow (1986-1987); Moscow Institute of Sport (1987-1988 gg.). Igor became the first student with no experience in professional sport, taken to the Weightlifting Department in Moscow Institute of Sport. Igor Mazurenko - the first student in bodybuilding at this institute, who started doing research on the methodology of bodybuilding and powerlifting. In 2005, Igor Mazurenko continued his studies at Moscow Institute of Sport on «Arm Wrestling» specialty.

Master's thesis

In 2012 Igor Mazurenko defended his thesis: "Comparative analysis of strength training of two leading wrestlers: Andrey Pushkar and Denis Tsyplenkov on the basis of their competition in the Professional World Cup. Comparison and analysis of curricula and results."

PhD thesis

Currently Igor Mazurenko is writing his thesis at the Faculty of the Technical University of Sports, Kaliningrad. Thesis - "An innovative approach to training in arm wrestling."

Place of residence

Since 2000 Igor Mazurenko resides in Gdańsk, Poland.

Achievements in Sports

Bodybuilding, bench press, powerlifting: (1988-1999) Moscow Championship, Tournament "Cup of Valentin Dikul" (second place), in the professional category "Moscow against the U.S.." , Fourth place in the bench press at the World Championships WPC (1999), in the category of 125 kg, with a score of 245 kg. In arm wrestling - won dozens of tournaments, the prize of X Polish Championship, European Championships, World Armwrestling Champion 2011 in a series of Masters.

Coaching activities

Acting coach, mentor for many champions of Poland and Europe. Author of dozens of articles on coaching methodology. In 2014 Igor was first in the world who has launched a project of training arm wrestling online.

Amateur armwrestling activist

Created the first European arm wrestling club "Golden Tour", Gdynia; founder of the Polish Arm Wrestling Federation; President of the Polish Arm Wrestling Federation (FAP); Vice-President of the European Arm Wrestling Federation.

Professional Armwrestling Manager

Founder of the Professional Armwrestling League(PAL); the founder and manager of the World Cup in arm wrestling "Golden Tour», Professional World Cup «Nemiroff World Cup».

Publisher, journalist, reporter

Journalist / columnist, author of hundreds of articles and interviews, photo stories, in particular, on the pages of the «Armpower» journal's website www.armpower.net.

Publisher

Founder and publisher of the«Armpower» magazine; Founder of internet portal armpower.net; Editor of the host application to the monthly edition of "Sport for All"; Producer of films devoted to arm wrestling; One of the films was recognized as the best in the category "Sports programs" at the International Festival of Film and sports programs "Warsaw 2007" and took second place in the XXV International Film Festival in Milan "Sport Movies & TV" in the "Sports TV show" category.

Entrepreneurship

Owner of the sport additives FIT MAX production company; Designer and manufacturer of sports equipment, owner of «Mazurenko Armwrestling Equipment» company.

From vision to realization

At school, Igor dreamed of becoming a surgeon, and save lives. His second dream was sky. He collected civil and military aviation models. Today, Igor has a pilot's license. In 1980 Igor became interested in sports, especially bodybuilding. With few available, usually foreign educational materials, Igor with friends starts bodybuilding and weight training. In the late 1990s, Igor moved from Ukraine to Poland, where he opens a bar with Ukrainian cuisine.

Igor Mazurenko and arm wrestling in Poland

Living in Gdańsk and training in local clubs Igor heard about a professional tournament, to be held on the pier in Sopot. In addition to the Bench lifting, the arm wrestling competitions were included to the tournament. Igor took part in them winning the final of the player who won a few years at the Pier in Sopot. From this moment Mazurenko devoted his life to the study of everything connected with this hitherto unknown in Poland, sports discipline. Thanks to his initiative, a group of enthusiasts was formed and that was the point where the history of the Polish armwrestling started. Among them were: Athletes: The first contestants representing Poland in the tournament «Giants’ Duel": Mirosław Myszke, Robert Grigorcewicz, Bartłomiej Babij, Daniel Hebel and Ireneusz Weber; First National Polish team selected for the first international tournament, namely the European Championship: Łukasz Krasoń, Daniel Hebel, Bartłomiej Babij, Marcin Kreft, Robert Tysięczny, Mirosław Myszke, Dariusz Gabrynowicz, Norbert Parzucha, Daniel Okoniewski. Coaches: The first few people who began to hold classes in several Igor Mazurenko’s Armwrestling centers "Gold Tour" in Gdynia and Martin Kraft’s "Golden Lion". Organizers: enthusiasts who, together with Igor Mazurenko, began organizing competitions on armwrestling Adam Popiołek i Andrzej Gardocki. Judges: David Shead, Artur Lewandowski, Monika Duma and journalists: Leszek Soboń, Piotr Szymanowski with the first group of photographers Mirko Krawczak, Mark Pańczyk and Pawel Klajneder. These people began to specialize in armwrestling and engaged the production of articles and photos. Today armwrestling in Poland receives consistent coverage in the media, culminating in a web-page armpower.net.

Work for the media

Simultaneously with the organization of the first sporting events, Igor Mazurenko started arm wrestling promotion in the media. The discipline is being promoted in the local media as well as in national and sectoral.

Starting armwrestling in Poland

In 1999, Igor Mazurenko, doing weightlifting, received an offer from Ukrainian Armwrestling Federation to hold the match between Poland and Ukraine. The event was to popularize the sport in Poland. There were lots of sportsmen wishing to take part in the competition, but in the tournament could take part only five athletes from each side. November 28, 1999, during a bodybuilding competition, held the first arm wrestling tournament in Poland called "Duel of the Giants." In February 2000, another tournament with participation of Ukrainian athletes was organized, and in March in Gdynia was officially registered the first Polish Arm Wrestling sports club "Golden Tour". In April 2000, the delegation of the club visited Moscow at the invitation of the EAF President Igor Ahmedzhin. Professionalism of Polish representatives was appreciated by EAF and the Polish Federation had been trusted to organize X European Armwrestling Championship in Poland. The most important event of 2000 was the acceptance of the Polish Federation to the European Armwrestling Federation. During the congress, WAF, held during the Arm Wrestling World Cup in Rovaniemi (Finland), most participants agreed that the World Cup 2001 will be held in Poland. In December 2001 held the XXII World Armwrestling Championship. In Gdynia gathered up to 560 athletes representing 29 countries. The Polish team consisted of 30 athletes. Panel of journalists and Tri-City authorities recognized the XXII Arm Wrestling World Cup as the best sports event of 2001. Since the establishment of the Polish Arm Wrestling Federation in Poland dozens of professional arm wrestling clubs have opened. In 2006 in Poland functioned more than 40 clubs, uniting more than 500 athletes.

History of Polish team

History of the Polish national team in arm wrestling began in 2000 at the European Championship, held in Gdynia. Polish squad had nine wrestlers. The first arm wrestling club in Poland called "Golden Tour" was opened in Gdynia.

Igor Mazurenko starts to publish the «Armpower» magazine in three languages. In 2000 the Polish Arm Wrestling Federation was founded and Igor Mazurenko became its president.

Since 1999, in Poland there are regular competitions at various levels: amateur, national, Polish Cup and other local competitions.

In Poland, on the initiative and direct participation of Igor Mazurenko repeatedly organized and hosted international competitions in arm wrestling. It was, by turns:

Structure of the European Amateur Armwrestling

From 2003 to 2008, Igor Mazurenko served as Chief Secretary of the European Federation of armwrestling. Since 2008 Igor Mazurenko - Vice-President of the European Arm Wrestling Federation, President of the Federation is Assen Hadjitodorov - Bulgaria.

Professional armwrestling

Since 2002 Igor Mazurenko and Assen Hadjitodorov created PAL - Professional Armwrestling League, a global organization whose purpose is to organize professional fights in arm wrestling. PAL offices currently operating in Gdynia, Las Vegas. Since 2012 Igor Mazurenko - PAL President USA, Las Vegas, USA.

Events organized by PAL are being attended by hundreds of athletes from more than 40 countries around the world.

Besides armwrestling

Interests outside of sports and professional activities closely related to sports: history of Polish-Ukrainian relations. Aviation - curren sport aviation pilot, has a pilot's license and acrobatic pilot training.