Strength athletics in Iceland
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Strength athletics in Iceland refers to the participation of Icelandic competitors and holding national strongman competitions. The sport's roots have a long and ancient history going back many centuries with the legends of Orm Storolfsson and Grettir Ásmundarson to the 19th century traditional strongmen including Snorri Björnsson, Brynjólfur Eggertsson and Gunnar Salómonsson; before the televisation of modern strongman competitions in the late 1970s.
| Capital | Reykjavík 64°08′N 21°56′W |
|---|---|
| Area | |
• Total | 103,125 km2 (39,817 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2024 census | 377,320[1] (world rank: 180th) |
• Density | 3.66/km2 (9.5/sq mi) |
| ISO 3166 code | IS |
Iceland has held a preeminent position as a nation due to the enormous success of its competitors on the international stage, who between them have won Nine World's Strongest Man titles and numerous other international strongman competitions across all governing bodies, and is often regarded as 'the strongest nation of the world'.[2][3][4]
History
Summarize
Perspective
Icelanders testing each other through tests of strength predates the introduction of Strength athletics. There had also been a number of noted powerlifters and weightlifters including Skúli Óskarsson, Óskar Sigurpálsson, Guðmundur Sigurðsson, Birgir Borgþórsson, Guðmundur Helgason and Þorsteinn Leifsson during the twentieth century. However, in the era of Strongman, Iceland has a record that belies the size of the nation's population, having won everything there is to win in the sport.
Before Iceland had its own national competition, it already had men competing on the international circuit. In 1983, the young powerlifter and bodybuilder, Jón Páll Sigmarsson entered the 1983 World's Strongest Man competition where he emerged runner-up. Sigmarsson went on to win the competition the following year and in total won the World's Strongest Man four times, and became the first man to win the title 4 times. Sigmarsson was also a six times World Muscle Power Classic champion, 2 times Europe's Strongest Man and winner of the Pure Strength title.
His contemporary, and good friend Hjalti Árnason, was also competing parallel to him and he won Le Defi Mark Ten International and podiumed in several competitions including World Muscle Power Classic and World Strongman Challenge.
Magnús Ver Magnússon followed in their footsteps and emulated Sigmarsson's four World's Strongest Man titles, becoming the second man to win the title 4 times. He also won World Strongman Challenge, Europe's Strongest Man and European Hercules competitions. Ver Magnússon and Árnason also won the 1989 Pure Strength team competition.
There have also been several highly acclaimed Icelandic competitors, competing across top tier international competitions including Andrés Guðmundsson, Torfi Ólafsson, Kristinn Óskar Haraldsson, Benedikt Magnússon and most notably Stefán Sölvi Pétursson who achieved fourth-place in the 2010 World's Strongest Man competition.
The next entire decade of Icelandic Strongman competitions was dominated by Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson who won the main National title 11 times in addition to winning several other national competitions multiple times and also winning 9 Giants Live tours including the Europe's Strongest Man 5 times, 8 Strongman Champions League titles, the Arnold Strongman Classic 3 consecutive times, the World's Strongest Viking 2 consecutive times, the World's Strongest Man and the World's Ultimate Strongman becoming the most decorated Icelandic Strongman of all-time.[5]
National Competitions
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Perspective
Since 1985, Iceland has had its own national competition, Iceland's Strongest Man. There have also been four other major titles contested in Iceland, including Strongest Man in Iceland, Iceland's Strongest Man (IFSA), Iceland's Strongest Viking, and Icelandic Power Trial Championships; in addition to other smaller competitions such as Westfjord's Viking, Grundarfjord Viking, Highland Viking, Eastfjord Strongman Championships and powerlifting competitions such as Thor's Powerlifting Challenge.
Iceland's Strongest Man
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Iceland |
| Established | 1985 |
Number of tournaments | 40 |
| Format | Multi-event Strongman competition with 6-10 athletes |
| Venue(s) | Reykjavík, Kópavogur, Mosfellsbær, Selfoss, |
| Current champion | |
| Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (2024) | |
In 1985, the very first Iceland's Strongest Man contest was held[6] and it was not for the faint-hearted. Three of the six competitors ended up in hospital.[7] Jón Páll won the competition while Hjalti Árnason emerged second and Magnús Ver third. Thus, in the very first contest the podium finishers would between them go on to win the World's Strongest Man eight times, the World Muscle Power Classic seven times, the World Strongman Challenge, Le Defi Mark Ten International and numerous powerlifting titles including the super-heavyweight IPF World Powerlifting Championships. The contest's profile was immediately internationally renowned and it eventually became an open competition, although if a non-Icelander wins, the title of Iceland's Strongest Man defers to the highest placed Icelander. This has only happened on 2 occasions when the legendary Bill Kazmaier of the United States and Regin Vagadal of the Faroe Islands won. Iceland's Strongest Man remains the most prestigious and the highest ranking strongman title of the country.
Being held for 40 consecutive years since its inception in 1985, Iceland's Strongest Man is the oldest 'continuously held' strongman competition in the world. It has been won by 11 Icelanders and 7 of them progressed on to become multiple winners. With 11 titles, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson holds the record for the most number of wins while Magnús Ver Magnússon and Jón Páll Sigmarsson have 7 and 5 wins respectively. The competition is annually organized and hosted by Hjalti Árnason.
Champions breakdown
| Champion | Times | Years |
|---|---|---|
 Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | 11 (10 consecutive) | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2024 |
| Magnús Ver Magnússon | 7 (2 consecutive) | 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2004 |
| Jón Páll Sigmarsson | 5 (3 consecutive) | 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1992 |
| Kristinn Óskar 'Boris' Haraldsson | 4 (consecutive) | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 |
| Gunnar Þór Guðjónsson | 3 (2 consecutive) | 1994, 1999, 2000 |
| Stefán Sölvi Pétursson | 2 (consecutive) | 2009, 2010 |
| Kristján Jón Haraldsson | 2 (consecutive) | 2022, 2023 |
| Torfi Ólafsson | 1 | 1997 |
| Magnús Magnússon | 1 | 2002 |
| Benedikt Magnússon | 1 | 2003 |
| Stefán Karel Torfason | 1 | 2021 |
 Bill Kazmaier | 1 | 1988 |
 Regin Vágadal | 1 | 1998 |
Most podium finishes without winning the title
| Athlete | Times (breakdown) |
|---|---|
| Hjalti Árnason | 8 (6 x 2nd, 2 x 3rd) |
| Ari Gunnarsson | 7 (4 x 2nd, 3 x 3rd) |
| Audunn Jónsson | 6 (4 x 2nd, 2 x 3rd) |
| Páll Logason | 6 (2 x 2nd, 4 x 3rd) |
| Andrés Guðmundsson | 5 (3 x 2nd, 2 x 3rd) |
| Eyþór Ingólfsson Melsteð | 3 (3 x 2nd) |
| Pétur Guðmundsson | 2 (2 x 3rd) |
| Grétar Guðmundsson | 2 (2 x 3rd) |
| Sigfús Fossdal | 2 (2 x 3rd) |
Strongest Man in Iceland
This contest is organized by Magnús Ver Magnússon, and is held in different locations throughout Iceland. In the past, it has been held in Grindavík, Sudureyri, Grafarvogur and Hafnarfjördur.
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010[17] | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Benedikt Magnússon | Páll Logason |
| 2011[18] | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Ari Gunnarsson | Georg Ögmundsson |
| 2012[19] | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Ari Gunnarsson | Páll Logason |
| 2013 | Ari Gunnarsson | Páll Logason | Andri Björnsson |
| 2014 | Georg Ögmundsson | Páll Logason | Úlfur Orri Pétursson |
| 2016[20] | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Ari Gunnarsson | Stefán Sölvi Pétursson |
| 2017[21] | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Òskar Pétur Hafstein | Eyþór Ingólfsson Melsteð |
| 2018 | Ari Gunnarsson | Eyþór Ingólfsson Melsteð | André Bachmann |
| 2019 | Ari Gunnarsson | Eyþór Ingólfsson Melsteð | Kristján Jón Haraldsson |
| 2020 | Eyþór Ingólfsson Melsteð | Stefán Karel Torfason | Òskar Pétur Hafstein |
| 2021 | Eyþór Ingólfsson Melsteð | Kristján Jón Haraldsson | Tómas Darri Thorsteinsson |
| 2022 | Kristján Jón Haraldsson | Vilius Jokužys | Theodór Már Gudmundsson |
| 2023 | Kristján Jón Haraldsson | Vilius Jokužys | Pálmi Guðfinnsson |
| 2024 | Vilius Jokužys | Kristján Sindri Níelsson | Hilmar Örn Jónsson |
Iceland's Strongest Man (IFSA)
The IFSA organised the Iceland's Strongest Man competition for a number of years before 2005. However, when the IFSA disassociated from the World's Strongest Man competition, Iceland's Strongest Man remained the official qualifier with no IFSA involvement. The IFSA did continue to promote their own version until their financial demise at the end of 2008.
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Andrés Guðmundsson | (To be confirmed) | (To be confirmed) |
| 2005[22] | Benedikt Magnússon | (To be confirmed) | (To be confirmed) |
| 2006 | Benedikt Magnússon | Stefán Sölvi Pétursson | Georg Ögmundsson |
| 2007 | Benedikt Magnússon | Georg Ögmundsson | Pétur Bruno Thorsteinsson |
| 2008 | Stefán Sölvi Pétursson | Páll Logason | Grétar Guðmundsson |
Iceland's Strongest Viking
This contest dates back to 1992[23] however, in some years the results of this contest have been combined with those of Iceland's Strongest Man in order to ascertain who qualifies for the World's Strongest Man.
Icelandic Power Trial Championships
This tournament was also known by the name Aflraunameistari Islands.[26] It was held for 9 years during 1986 and 2011.
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Gudni Sveinsson | Víkingur Traustason | Flosi Jonsson |
| 1989 | Jón Páll Sigmarsson |  Jamie Reeves | Magnús Ver Magnússon |
| 1991 | Andrés Guðmundsson | Björgvin Filippusson | Jon Gunnarsson |
| 1992 | Magnús Ver Magnússon | Andrés Guðmundsson | Gudni Sigurjonsson |
| 1993 | Andrés Guðmundsson | Kjartan Gudbrandsson | Magnus Bess |
| 1995 | Hjalti Árnason | Torfi Ólafsson | Unnar Gardarsson |
| 2008 | Sigfús Fossdal | Páll Logason | Orri Geirsson |
| 2009 | Sigfús Fossdal | Ulfur Orri Petursson | Jon Thor Asgrimsson |
| 2011 | Sigfús Fossdal | Arni Freyr Stefansson | Jon Thor Asgrimsson |
Other competitions
- Westfjord's Viking (Vestfjarðarvíkingin)
- Grundarfjord Viking (Grundarfjarðartröllið)
- Highland Viking (Upsveitarvíkingin)
- Eastfjord Strongman Championships (Austfjarðartröllið)
- Thor's Powerlifting Challenge
Iceland's Strongest Woman
Iceland's Strongest Woman has been held since 1995 through different organizers, but from 2019 onwards Sigfús Fossdal took over and holds the competition annually in Akureyri.
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Bryndís Ólafsdóttir | (To be confirmed) | (To be confirmed) |
| 1996 | Bryndís Ólafsdóttir | (To be confirmed) | (To be confirmed) |
| 1997 | Bryndís Ólafsdóttir | (To be confirmed) | (To be confirmed) |
| 1998 | Bryndís Ólafsdóttir | (To be confirmed) | (To be confirmed) |
| 2009 | Jóhanna Eivinsdóttir | (To be confirmed) | (To be confirmed) |
| 2010 | Thora Thorsteinsdóttir | (To be confirmed) | (To be confirmed) |
| 2011 | Bryndís Ólafsdóttir | Thora Thorsteinsdóttir | Jóhanna Eivinsdóttir |
| 2012 | Bryndís Ólafsdóttir | (To be confirmed) | (To be confirmed) |
| 2013 | Thora Thorsteinsdóttir | (To be confirmed) | (To be confirmed) |
| 2014 | Ingibjörg Lilja | (To be confirmed) | (To be confirmed) |
| 2015 | Jóhanna Eivinsdóttir | (To be confirmed) | (To be confirmed) |
| 2016 | Ingibjörg Óladóttir | Anna Björg Hjaltadóttir | Ragnheiður Jónasdóttir Hún Zane Kauzena |
| 2017 | Hún Zane Kauzena | Ragnheiður Jónasdóttir | Berglind Rós Bergsdóttir |
| 2018 | Ragnheiður Jónasdóttir | Ellen Lind Ísaksdóttir | (To be confirmed) |
| 2019 | Ellen Lind Ísaksdóttir | Ragnheiður Jónasdóttir | Lilja B Jónsdóttir |
| 2020 | Ellen Lind Ísaksdóttir | Ragnheiður Jónasdóttir | Lilja B Jónsdóttir |
| 2021 | Ellen Lind Ísaksdóttir | Ragnheiður Jónasdóttir | Lilja B Jónsdóttir |
| 2022 | Ragnheiður Jónasdóttir | Ellen Lind Ísaksdóttir | Erika Mjöll Jónsdóttir |
| 2023 | Ragnheiður Jónasdóttir | Erika Mjöll Jónsdóttir | Lilja B Jónsdóttir |
| 2024 | Ragnheiður Jónasdóttir | Erika Mjöll Jónsdóttir | Berglind Rós Bergsdóttir |
Regional Competitions
Nordic Strongman Championships
Nordic Strongman Championships consists of athletes from Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.[27]
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 |  Svend Karlsen |  Magnus Samuelsson |  Juha-Matti Räsänen |
| 2012[27] | Johannes Årsjö | Lars Rorbakken |  Mikkel Leicht |
| 2013 | Johannes Årsjö | Ole Martin Hansen | Juha-Matti Järvi |
- In 2005, the competition was held under IFSA in Kristiansand, and in 2012 and 2013 in Harstad, Norway under Giants Live.
- From 2014 onwards, the competition was promoted to global level, re-titled as the World's Strongest Viking and was held consecutively for 8 years under Strongman Champions League.
International Competitions
Summarize
Perspective
Jón Páll Sigmarsson Classic
The competition was organized by Hjalti Árnason to commemorate Jón Páll Sigmarsson, and 3 tournaments were held from 2010 to 2012 with the participation of the top athletes of the world.
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Brian Shaw | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Mark Felix |
| 2011 | Brian Shaw | Laurence Shahlaei | Páll Logason |
| 2012 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Mark Felix | Páll Logason |
Magnús Ver Magnússon Strongman Classic
The competition is noted for its vintage events and is held annually outdoors during winter season.
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 |  Maxime Boudreault | Eyþór Ingólfsson Melsteð | Sami Ahola |
| 2022 |  Rongo Keene | Maxime Boudreault | Eyþór Ingólfsson Melsteð |
| 2023 | Tristain Hoath | Rongo Keene | Shane Flowers |
| 2024 |  Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Tristain Hoath | Andrew Burton |
Giants Live
Iceland was also the venue for one of Giants Live grand prix competitions with the participation of top athletes of the world. The competition was named Giants Live Viking Challenge/ Giants Live Iceland.
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Mark Felix | Martins Licis |
See also
References
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