Chilliwack害羞草研究所檚 Justin Hancock didn害羞草研究所檛 let pain stop him at last month害羞草研究所檚 Canadian Arm Wrestling Championships.

The 36-year-old battled through a painful elbow injury, muscling his way to a third place finish and doing far better than he thought he would with a wounded wing.

害羞草研究所淔rom thinking at one point that I wasn害羞草研究所檛 even going to be able to compete to hearing my name called for a bronze medal, that was a great feeling,害羞草研究所� he said.

Hancock tore the bicep tendon in his right arm last year. Surgery and recovery kept him out of the gym for several months.

When he returned to competition, he used his left arm. At a fundraiser tournament in Burnaby in April, Hancock injured that arm too.

There害羞草研究所檚 video of the match and you can actually hear it happen.

害羞草研究所淚 was arm wrestling a guy I know, and he hit and I kind of caught his hit and he went with a flop wrist press,害羞草研究所� Hancock recalled, using some arm wrestling jargon. 害羞草研究所淲hen he did that, we both heard this 害羞草研究所榩op pop pop害羞草研究所� sound in my inner elbow.

害羞草研究所淲hen I went to provincials one month later I was still feeling pain in the elbow and forearm. I had one match where I didn害羞草研究所檛 do much of anything. Any time he hit on my arm I felt this click, click, click in my forearm and I pulled out of the competition.害羞草研究所�

Hancock, who trains with the Vancouver Arm Wrestling Club, got the injury checked out.

害羞草研究所淭here wasn害羞草研究所檛 any bruising and I still had movement, so my doctor said, 害羞草研究所業f it does persist or the pain gets worse we害羞草研究所檒l send you in for an MRI,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淢aking it worse was definitely a concern and that害羞草研究所檚 why I pulled out of provincials.

害羞草研究所淚 wanted to make sure that if there was still time to heal that it would be healed by nationals.害羞草研究所�

When nationals rolled around in mid-July, the three time B.C. champion wasn害羞草研究所檛 liking his chances.

害羞草研究所淚 figured I害羞草研究所檇 try anyways and see what happens,害羞草研究所� he reasoned. 害羞草研究所淚f I did feel any major pain I害羞草研究所檇 have to stop, or let myself get pinned.害羞草研究所�

The event was held at West Edmonton Mall.

To compete in his desired weight class (100 kilogram), he had to lose four pounds in a hurry.

Any boxer or wrestler or mixed martial artist will tell you weight cuts aren害羞草研究所檛 easy, but Hancock dropped eight pounds (224 to 218), weighing in at 99kg.

Still plagued by uncertainty, he went into his first match.

He lost, and felt the familiar pain.

害羞草研究所淚 got put in a position where I was holding, and normally I害羞草研究所檇 have the strength to get more of an inside position and pull through,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淏ut when I tried to do that, I could still feel the issue when he was hitting on my arm.

害羞草研究所淏ut it wasn害羞草研究所檛 that bad, so I thought I害羞草研究所檇 keep going and I started winning some matches.害羞草研究所�

While the same guy that beat him in the first match got him twice more, Hancock won four matches.

害羞草研究所淏ut the way it was set up, I wasn害羞草研究所檛 sure what my placing was and I thought I was maybe fourth or fifth,害羞草研究所� Hancock said. 害羞草研究所淲hen they were calling people up for the medals and they called my name for the bronze I was like, 害羞草研究所榃ow.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 was not expecting that.害羞草研究所�

Hancock won bronze at the 2015 nationals, but this was a little more special because he had to fight through a whole lot more.

害羞草研究所淓ven within a matter of days before nationals, I was saying to my wife that I wasn害羞草研究所檛 sure I could compete,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 noticed at the gym doing certain exercises, I still felt a sharp pain when I went over a weight that I could normally do easily.

害羞草研究所淥n the first day in Edmonton, they started at 10 a.m. and I didn害羞草研究所檛 end up competing until 3 or 4 p.m., so I was sitting there waiting and watching most of the day with that concern.

害羞草研究所淲hen I lost that first match I thought, 害羞草研究所極K. This is how it害羞草研究所檚 going to go. I害羞草研究所檓 going to lose three matches and be out.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淪o when I got through all of the matches and I received that medal, that was a great feeling.害羞草研究所�

One wonders how Hancock might have done with a healthy arm.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 hard to say if I would have placed first or not, because the guy who did place first is quite good,害羞草研究所� Hancock said. 害羞草研究所淏ut I would have liked my chances of finishing second a lot better.害羞草研究所�

For full results from nationals, check