Leesburg arm wrestler wins gold at AAA Nationals

LEESBURG — Jerome Loud likes to believe he has come a long way as an arm wrestler in two years.

If winning the gold medal at the AAA Nationals over the weekend in Columbia, S.C. is any indication, Loud continues to move toward the top — but he doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.

The Leesburg native won titles with his right arm and his left, going undefeated in the prestigious tournament.

“I didn’t want a silver or a bronze … I was focused on winning a gold medal,” he said.

Loud, who runs his own business as a logger, said people told him he got his strength from carrying a chain saw for more than two decades.

Earlier this summer, Tifton native Greg Hilton went to Las Vegas to compete in World Armwrestling League championships. Loud, who has been competing for just two seasons, said he decided not to go to Las Vegas to spend more time training for the AAA Nationals. Both are coached by Bob Watson, one of the sport’s top coaches.

“When I started I wasn’t sure I’d get this far,” Loud said. “I felt pretty good going in. The first couple of matches, I was a little off, but once you get going, it’s pretty-much smooth-sailing.”

Loud attributes the bulk of his success to Watson, whom he regularly trains with at least twice a month. He said before going to the AAA Nationals, he had two private sessions with his coach.

“I wasn’t nervous or anything after a couple of times with Bob, I went into the tournament feeling pretty good,” he said.

Loud competed in the 220-pound weight division. Arm wrestling classes are similar to boxing. Participants are weighed before a meet and they compete in their respective classes. The format was double-elimination.

Watson believes Loud is only going to get better.

“He is very attentive,” Watson said. “He listens to every thing you tell him and does exactly the things that you tell him. He works diligently on them and it’s paid off.”