Andrés Guðmundsson

Andrés Guðmundsson (born 17 April 1965)[2] is an Icelandic Strongman and Highland Games competitor. He held the titles of the World Strongman Challenge and the European Hercules.

Andrés Guðmundsson
Personal information
NationalityIcelandic
Born (1965-04-17) 17 April 1965
Reykjavík
OccupationStrongman
Height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[1]
Weight125–150 kg (276–331 lb)
Medal record
Strongman
Representing  Iceland
World Strongman Challenge
1st 1994
European Hercules
1st 1994
Strongest Man on Earth
2nd 1994
European Muscle Power Classic
2nd 1994
World Viking Challenge
2nd 1993
Iceland's Strongest Man
2nd 1990
2nd 1992
2nd 1993
3rd 1995
3rd 1996
Iceland's Strongest Man (IFSA)
1st 1999

Biography

Guðmundsson began his sporting career in the world of track and field athletics. After turning his attention to professional sport he became involved in strength athletics. His time in strength athletics coincided with the careers of fellow Icelandic strongmen Jón Páll Sigmarsson and Magnús Ver Magnússon and thus to an extent was overshadowed by their careers. His competition experience ranged from volleyball, discus and shot put to the traditional Scottish Highland Games. His discus career resulted in him being in fourteenth place on the Icelandic all-time list with a throw of 53 m (in Reykjavík for the Ármann club on 3 September 1991).[2] In 1994 he was also ranked as Iceland's number 2 shot putter (and 87th in the world) with a performance of 18.63 meters.[3] In 1996, he achieved his personal best of 18.84 meters.[4]

Strength athletics

In 1993 Guðmundsson emerged 2nd place in the World Viking Challenge. In 1994 he reached the peak of his strength athletics career, winning the World Strongman Challenge, European Hercules and coming second in the European Muscle Power Championships and Strongest Man on Earth to Manfred Hoeberl.[5] Both the European Musclepower Championships and the Highland Games World Championships were held on a weekend on the same field in Callander, Scotland.[6] During mid 90s, he was widely regarded as one of the top dual threats in Highland Games and strongman competition, but was sidelined by a career threatening injury, a tear of his pectoral muscle[7] hence Guðmundsson began focusing his experience in other directions. He opted to share his experience with Icelandic fitness people and emerging strongmen, and as a result developed Skólahreysti (School Fitness) together with his wife Lára Helgadóttir, which quickly became one of the most popular and well known school sporting events in Iceland.[8]

In 1999, he made a promising comeback and won the Iceland's Strongest Man (IFSA) competition in 1999.[1] In August 1999 he had a podium finish in the Bison Highland Games[9] and in 2000 he was added to the list of competitors for the IFSA Helsinki Grand Prix 2000.[7] Despite a top international field such was his reputation that he was placed 5th in the betting to win, so soon after his comeback began.[1] However, a recurrence of the pec tear forced him to pull out.[1]

Húsafell Stone

Guðmundsson is specially noted for his prowess with the legendary Húsafell Stone, carrying the 186 kg (410 lb) stone around the sheep and goat pen for nearly two full revolutions, beating the likes of Jón Páll Sigmarsson, Magnús Ver Magnússon and Hjalti Árnason, all in their prime. His mark was not beaten for the next 25 years, until the emergence of Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.[10]

Skólahreysti

The Helsinki Grand Prix in 2000 was his last major international competition and from that point on he focused almost entirely on the Skólahreysti (School Fitness) project. The first Skólahreysti contest was held in 2005 with six schools participating. Its goal was to encourage children to take part in a wide-ranging sports experience based on the criteria used in their general physical education. The 2009 season saw 110 schools participate with the final broadcast live by RÚV, and audience surveys showed that around 49% of Icelanders tuned in.[8]

Personal life

Andrés has two sons who play football, Axel Óskar Andrésson and Jökull Andrésson.[11][12]

References
  1. "Helsinki GP 2000". samson-power.com.
  2. "Global Throwing Icelandic top 25". Archived from the original on 18 September 2010.
  3. "NEWS". Archived from the original on 18 March 2005. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  4. "Andrés GUDMUNDSSON - Worldathletics.org". Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  5. "David Horne's World of Grip". www.davidhorne-gripmaster.com.
  6. "Picture shown in North American Highlander Association: Blending Strongman and the Highland Games by Randall J. Strossen". Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  7. "Andreas Gudmunsson Making a Comeback... by Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D., Wednesday, December 29, 1999".
  8. Skólahreysti (School Fitness) - background Archived July 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Samundsson Wins Bison Highland Games".
  10. "Fullsterkur". IMDB.com. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  11. "Like father, like sson! The Royals' sporting family..." Reading FC. 7 November 2017.
  12. "Academy graduate Jökull Andrésson agrees to two-year pro deal". www.readingfc.co.uk.
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