Jón Páll Sigmarsson | |
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.jpg) Official portrait of Jón Páll Sigmarsson in 1988 | |
| Born | (1960-04-28)28 April 1960 Hafnarfjörður, Iceland |
| Died | 16 January 1993(1993-01-16) (aged 32) Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Other names | The Viking |
| Occupation(s) | Strongman,powerlifter,bodybuilder |
| Years active | 1979–1993 |
| Height | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) |
| Title | |
| Children | Sigmar Freyr Jónsson |
Jón Páll Sigmarsson[a] (28 April 1960 – 16 January 1993) was an Icelandicstrongman,powerlifter andbodybuilder. He was the first man to win theWorld's Strongest Man four times,[3] the only man to win theWorld Muscle Power Classic five times and the only man to winPure Strength individual title.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest strength athletes all time,[4] Jón Páll is credited with developing Iceland's strength identity.[5] He also won 13 international competitions and set 24 world records, was namedIcelandic Sportsperson of the Year in 1981,[5] and was posthumously inducted into theWorld's Strongest Man Hall of Fame in 2012.
Jón Páll was born inHafnarfjörður on 28 April 1960, weighing 4 kg (9 lb) and measuring 52 centimetres (20 in). He was the first child of Dóra Jónsdóttir and Sigmar Jónsson.[6][7] He was raised by his mother and foster father Sveinn Guðmundsson.[8] The family moved toStykkishólmur when he was two. He remained there until the age of nine, when the family relocated toReykjavík.[9]
Growing up, he spent his summers onSkáleyjar and was active as a farmhand. He worked from dawn until dusk, carrying pails of water and assisting his foster father onseal hunts.[10] He took upGlima, a traditional Icelandic form of wrestling at the age of five and later played a vast array of sports such as football, handball, gymnastics, karate, swimming and middle-distance running.[11][7]
Jón Páll was introduced to weight lifting in 1976, and began training at the 'Jakaból' gym in 1978.[7] The same year he won the Icelandic juniorbodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class. His was also showing great numbers in powerlifting, including Icelandic national records in thebench press (with 192.5 kg (424 lb), 195 kg (430 lb), 210 kg (463 lb) and 222.5 kg (491 lb)) and thesquat (with 320.5 kg (707 lb), 330 kg (728 lb), 342.5 kg (755 lb) and 357.5 kg (788 lb)), but his best performances were usually in thedeadlift event, in which he set the European record many times (with 350 kg (772 lb), 352.5 kg (777 lb), 360 kg (794 lb), 362.5 kg (799 lb) and 370 kg (816 lb)).[12] The Icelandic phrase 'Þetta er ekkert mál fyrir Jón Pál!' was often yelled by him during deadlifting.[13] While continuously winning bodybuilding competitions, he did his first strongman competition in 1982.
Jón Páll was invited to theWorld's Strongest Man for the first time in 1983, in which he emerged runner-up toGeoff Capes by one and a half points. He showcased his immense strength by performing a 525 kg (1,157 lb) silver dollar deadlift. He also emerged third at the Europe's Strongest Man. The following year, at age 24, he defeated Capes by 6 points and won1984 World's Strongest Man inMora, Sweden, becoming the youngest person to ever win the World's Strongest Man; a record which he holds to-date. Soon after the final armwrestling event, Jón Páll famously shouted"The King has lost his crown!" He won three events (truck pull, caber toss and rock press) and came second in four events in the process.
In 1985 Jón Páll lost the title to Capes, again by only one and a half points. During the deadlift event, a spectator in the audience yelled 'Eskimo' to Jón Páll, and he famously yelled back:"I am not an Eskimo, I'm aViking!" and successfully lifted the 495 kg (1,091 lb) cart. In 1985 Jón Páll wonEurope's Strongest Man and also won both the inauguralWorld Muscle Power Classic and inauguralIceland's Strongest Man. During one of the events in Iceland's Strongest Man, he famously danced while carrying the 186 kg (410 lb)Húsafell Stone.[14]
In1986 World's Strongest Man inNice, France, Jón Páll won his second title, beating Capes by 4 points. He won four events (carry & drag, McGlashen stones, deadlift and the loading race) and came second in three events in the process. Also in 1986, Jón Páll won World Muscle Power Classic, Europe's Strongest Man and Commonwealth Highland Games. In the same year, he wrestled English author andGuinness World Record holderBrian Sterling-Vete in an exhibition match for the TV news and print media held at Finnur Karlsson's gymnasium inReykjavík, Iceland.
In 1987, began Jón Páll's rivalry withBill Kazmaier who returned to strength sports following his ban from World's Strongest Man after 1982. Kazmaier boasted some of the heaviest powerlifting lifts of that time and had made his reputation in the 1980s as "the strongest man who ever lived" by breaking numerous strongman world records. In 1987, World's Strongest Man was not held for the first and only time in its history. However, 3x times champion Kazmaier, 2x times champion Capes and then 2x times champion Jón Páll met at1987 Pure Strength, a vintage competition held in the grounds ofHuntly Castle inAberdeenshire,Scotland to determine who is the strongest man on Earth.[15] Jón Páll who turned in at his all-time heaviest bodyweight dominated the competition, winning 8 out of 10 events while breaking multiple world records in the process.[3] A legendary quote,"There is no reason to be alive, if you can't do deadlift!" was shouted by Jón Páll at the top of the 455 kg (1,003 lb) rectangular-handled cartwheel deadlift during the competition. He won the event with a world record lift of 523 kg (1,153 lb). He also managed to break the log lift world record with 163.5 kg (360 lb).
In 1988 Capes retired, and at the1988 World's Strongest Man Jón Páll and Kazmaier clashed again. Kazmaier won the deadlift, log lift and sack race but Jón Páll won theWeight over bar with a five-point lead andMcGlashen Stones in the end to secure the overall victory, equaling Kazmaier's record for three World's Strongest Man titles. After his victory Jón Páll said: "I may be the fastest strongman in the world, but I think Bill is the strongest on his feet". The same year, Jón Páll won the Icelandic Bodybuilding championship in +90 kg class.
In 1989 Jón Páll won the World Muscle Power Classic but placed third both at the1989 World's Strongest Man and Europe's Strongest Man.
In 1990, Jón Páll came to the1990 World's Strongest Man injured, but after a valiant fight, won the title for a record breaking fourth time. The AmericanO.D. Wilson who was leading the competition with a comfortable five and a half points leading up to the last event (a 200 m race with a 100 kg weight on the back) lacked the endurance to complete the course quickly enough, giving up six points to Jón Páll, earning him the win at the final event. He also won World Muscle Power Classic and Iceland's Strongest Man.
In 1991 Jón Páll won his fifth World Muscle Power Classic, but badly injured his left arm during Nordic Strongest Man in Denmark. He underwent an operation at a hospital in Scotland but the bones of his forearm grew together, which prevented the full use of his arm thereafter. In 1992 won his fifth Iceland's Strongest Man title as well as Finland's Strongest Man. Both in 1991 and 1992 he missed the World's Strongest Man due to recurring injuries.
Jón Páll was often challenged by Kazmaier in static feats of strength because he believed events were biased in Jón Páll's favour. Despite battling with injuries, Jón Páll's mobility reduced but it progressively translated into improved brute strength. In 1981 when Kazmaier traveled to Nigeria for a Highland games style strength exhibition withDouglas Edmunds, he attempted to break his own deadlift world record by pulling 415 kg (915 lb) with straps. He was successful, however it was not considered an official record since it was a slightly elevated deadlift. During his preparation for 1987 Pure Strength, Jón Páll replicated the same setup and pulled 427.5 kg (942 lb) in his gym 'Gym 80' in front of many Icelandic spectators.[16]
Although he was known for his energetic, charismatic and boastful personality when competing, Jón Páll was known for his vibrant personality, humor and soft-spoken nature in his personal life.[10] He was also an avid reader and enjoyed reading to his son Sigmar Freyr (born 1983).[8]
On 16 January 1993, Jón Páll died of anaortic rupture while deadlifting in his gym 'Gym 80' in Reykjavík.[17][18] It was the result of a congenital heart defect that also affected three other members of his family[18] which may have also been exacerbated by his use ofanabolic steroids.[19] Jón Páll had sought medical treatment in the United States in 1992 due to persisting heart problems. In Sölvi Tryggvason's 2013 biography of Jón Páll, he stated he suspected Jón Páll knew he was close to death.[20]
Jón Páll is buried at the Lágafell church cemetery.
Jón Páll was described in his life documentary "Larger than Life" byGeoff Capes as "a new kind of guy on the block" and byDavid P. Webster equally in describing him as a man who boasted pure static strength as well as versatile athletic strength in all its forms, a combination that lead to his supreme performances. World's Strongest Man DirectorColin Bryce called Jón Páll the greatest strongman of all time for not only his titles but also showmanship, stating"Strongman is entertainment. None of us would be here without Jón Páll".[21]
Jón Páll's lifelong friend and training partnerHjalti Árnason created theJón Páll Sigmarsson Classic international strongman contest in 2010 in honor of Jón Páll.[22] The event was held annually for three consecutive years during the Icelandic fitness & health expo inReykjavík. The inaugural winner wasAmerica'sBrian Shaw[22] and the final winner wasIceland's ownHafþór Júlíus Björnsson.[23] Hafþór also has a tattoo of Jón Páll lifting a natural stone in one of his calves.
InNew Hampshire,United States, there is a popularlifting stone weighing 221 kg (487 lb) named after Jón Páll which is used in someNew England Highland Games.[24] One of his legendary quotes 'Þetta er ekkert mál fyrir Jón Páll!'(This is no problem for Jón Páll!), is inscribed in the stone.[25]
performed in official powerlifting full meets, aged 23, in single-ply equipment[1]
performed as exhibition lifts
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