Iceland has gained a reputation for producing exceptional Strongman athletes, with several World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champions hailing from the country. So, it is understandable that the National competitions held in Iceland are of the highest quality possible. To ensure that, the 4x WSM Magnús Ver Magnússon organized the 2023 Strongest Man In Iceland competition. It gathered ten of the greatest Strongmen in the country and Kristján Jón Haraldsson was crowned as the winner.
Winning five out of the eight events, Kristján Jón Haraldsson easily defended his title from last year and marked an important point in his career. Haraldsson recently stepped in to compete at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition, which evidently helped him crush his rivals at the 2023 Strongest Man In Iceland competition.
2023 Strongest Man in Iceland Results
- Kristján Jón Haraldsson — 72.5 points
- Vilius Jokužys — 67.5 points
- Pálmi Gudfinnsson — 54 points
- Gudmundur Adalsteinsson — 51.5 points
- Stefán Karel Torfason — 43 points
- Aron Geir Gudmundsson — 37.5 points
- Birgir Gudnason — 36.5 points
- Alexander Andersen — 30 points
- Fannar Katrínarson — 27.5 points
- Ólafur Haukur Tómasson — 17 points
Related: 2022 Iceland’s Strongest Man Results — Kristján Jón Haraldsson Wins
Max Dumbbell
As defending champion, Haraldsson had a great start to the 2023 Strongest Man in Iceland competition, winning the first event which was the Max Dumbell. However, he had to share the top spot with Vilius Jokužys, as both men locked out 110 kilograms.
- Kristján Jón Haraldsson — 110 kilograms (Tied-First)
- Vilius Jokužys — 110 kilograms (Tied-First)
- Stefán Karel Torfason— 100 kilograms
- Pálmi Gudfinnsson — 90 kilograms
- Gudmundur Adalsteinsson — 80 kilograms (Tied-Fifth)
- Ólafur Haukur Tómasson — 80 kilograms (Tied-Fifth)
- Birgir Gudnason — 70 kilograms (Tied-Seventh)
- Alexander Andersen — 70 kilograms (Tied-Seventh)
- Fannar Katrínarson — 70 kilograms (Tied-Seventh)
- Aron Geir Gudmundsson — 70 kilograms (Tied-Seventh)
Bag Over Bar
The bar was set at 4.30 meters of height for the second event of the 2023 Strongest Man In Iceland. Moreover, four bags ranging from 16 to 32 kilograms were placed in front of the athletes who were also given a 60-second time limit.
Three men completed all six bags, with Torfason being the fastest to do so. He performed the event with blistering speed and finished 1 second ahead of Haraldsson.
- Stefán Karel Torfason — 6 in 18.67 s
- Kristján Jón Haraldsson — 6 in 19.51 s
- Pálmi Gudfinnsson — 6 in 26.44 s
- Vilius Jokužys — 5 in 19.81 s
- Aron Geir Gudmundsson — 4 in 14.88 s
- Gudmundur Adalsteinsson — 4 in 24.85 s
- Birgir Gudnason — 3 in 10.69 s
- Alexander Andersen — 2 in 9.86 s
- Fannar Katrínarson — 2 in 11.05 s
- Ólafur Haukur Tómasson — 1 in 4.8 s
Front Hold
Gudmundur Adalsteinsson rose to the top on the third event of the 2023 Strongest Man In Iceland by performing a 25-kilogram Front Hold for 49.24 seconds. No one managed to hold the identical 25-kilogram implement for as long as him, but Torfason and Jokužys did battle fiercely for the second place. However, Torfason managed to hold the weight for 0.10 seconds longer.
- Gudmundur Adalsteinsson — 49.24 s
- Stefán Karel Torfason — 44.19 s
- Vilius Jokužys — 44.09 s
- Birgir Gudnason — 40.39 s
- Fannar Katrínarson — 38 s
- Kristján Jón Haraldsson — 37.31 s
- Alexander Andersen — 35.53 s
- Aron Geir Gudmundsson — 32.5 s
- Pálmi Gudfinnsson — 30.46 s
- Ólafur Haukur Tómasson — 10.65 s
Max Deadlift
Kristján Jón Haraldsson got back to winning ways in event four – the Max Deadlift. He was the only man to deadlift 400 kilograms, with Pálmi Gudfinnsson locking out 380 kilograms and clinching second place. Torfason lifted another 20 kilograms less than Gudfinnsson to finish third.
- Kristján Jón Haraldsson — 400 kilograms
- Pálmi Gudfinnsson — 380 kilograms
- Stefán Karel Torfason — 360 kilograms
- Vilius Jokužys — 340 kilograms (Tied-Fourth)
- Birgir Gudnason — 340 kilograms (Tied-Fourth)
- Fannar Katrínarson — 340 kilograms (Tied-Fourth)
- Aron Geir Gudmundsson — 320 kilograms
- Gudmundur Adalsteinsson — 300 kilograms
- Alexander Andersen — 260 kilograms (Tied-Ninth)
- Ólafur Haukur Tómasson — 260 kilograms (Tied-Ninth)
Arm-Over-Arm Pull
For the fifth event, the athletes had to perform an arm-over-arm pull for a distance of 60 meters in a time cap of 60 seconds. Only two men managed to do it with Haraldsson coming out on top with a time of 41.95 seconds. Vilius Jokužys, on the other hand, finished the event exactly as the time cap ran out.
- Kristján Jón Haraldsson — 41.95 s
- Vilius Jokužys — 60 s
- Stefán Karel Torfason — 12.4 meters
- Aron Geir Gudmundsson — 11.45 meters
- Pálmi Gudfinnsson — 11.35 meters
- Gudmundur Adalsteinsson — 9.54 meters
- Birgir Gudnason — 9.25 meters
- Alexander Andersen — 9.1 meters
- Fannar Katrínarson — 4.85 meters
- Ólafur Haukur Tómasson — 1.6 meters
Mooring Bitt Carry
The 2023 Strongest Man In Iceland competition featured a carry event as the sixth event. However, this time the athletes carried a peculiar 140-kilogram Mooring Bitt for the max distance possible.
Haraldsson claimed his third victory in a row by covering a distance of 40 meters. In addition, Vilius Jokužys once again finished second, carrying the bitt for 2.8 meters less than Haraldsson.
- Kristján Jón Haraldsson — 40 meters
- Vilius Jokužys — 37.2 meters
- Pálmi Gudfinnsson — 32.3 meters
- Gudmundur Adalsteinsson — 25 meters
- Alexander Andersen — 24.35 meters
- Aron Geir Gudmundsson — 19.9 meters
- Fannar Katrínarson — 13.2 meters
- Birgir Gudnason — 6.5 meters
- Ólafur Haukur Tómasson — 4.15 meters
- Stefán Karel Torfason — withdrew
Block Press
Momentum helped Haraldsson to win his fourth consecutive event which was manifested in the form of a Block Press. Being the only man to lift all four blocks ranging from 90 to 120 kilograms, Haraldsson claimed maximum points and extended his lead over everyone else.
- Kristján Jón Haraldsson — 4 in 67.31 s
- Vilius Jokužys — 3 in 24.49 s
- Gudmundur Adalsteinsson — 3 in 65.08 s
- Pálmi Gudfinnsson — 2 in 31.03 s
- Aron Geir Gudmundsson — 1 in 10.35 s
- Alexander Andersen — 1 in 12.47 s
- Birgir Gudnason — 1 in 13.44 s
- Fannar Katrínarson — 1 in 21.62 s
- Ólafur Haukur Tómasson — 1 in 29.28 s
Farmer’s Carry & Yoke Medley
Vilius Jokužys won the final event of the 2023 Strongest Man In Iceland, having carried a 120-kilogram farmer’s carry and a 400-kilogram yoke down a 20-meter course in just 27.51 seconds. However, seeing that Haraldsson finished in second with a time of 38.15 seconds, he was pronounced as the winner of the competition overall.
- Vilius Jokužys — 27.51 s
- Kristján Jón Haraldsson — 38.15 s
- Gudmundur Adalsteinsson — 43.46 s
- Pálmi Gudfinnsson — 57.10 s
- Birgir Gudnason — 36.8 meters
- Alexander Andersen — 34.95 meters
- Aron Geir Gudmundsson — 23.1 meters
- Ólafur Haukur Tómasson — 10.8 meters
- Fannar Katrínarson — 2.35 meters
Related: 2023 UK’s Strongest Woman & Man Results — Rebecca Roberts & Paul Smith Take Gold
After showcasing his incredible strength and skill at the 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) and successful defense of his title at the 2023 Strongest Man In Iceland competition, Kristján Jón Haraldsson has certainly made a name for himself in the strongman world. With such impressive performances under his belt, it’s no surprise that he is expected to become a familiar face on the big stage, competing alongside the best in the sport. He proved that he excels in some static events, as well as those which require a high pain tolerance. This is essential to become one of the greatest Strongmen in the world, so Haraldsson has potential for the future.