Haraldsson cleaned house yet again.
Kristján Jón Haraldsson is the champion of the 2023 Strongest Man in Iceland (SMI) contest. The athlete got here out victorious within the strength competition that took place in Hafnarfjördur, Iceland on June 3, 2023. It’s a repeat performance for Haraldsson, who successfully defended his SMI title from 2022. In response to his personal page on Strongman Archives, Haraldsson can now boast two victories in five appearances (2022-2023) on the annual SMI. The athlete previously finished because the runner-up in 2021, in third place in 2019, and in eighth place in 2018.
Joining Haraldsson on the 2023 SMI podium were Vilius Jokužys (second place) and Pálmi Gudfinnsson (third place). That is Jokužys’s second consecutive runner-up placing to Haraldsson within the SMI competition. To this point, the athlete has yet to attain a victory in his strongman profession, per Strongman Archives, but has only competed in his native Iceland. Meanwhile, this SMI result’s the primary time Gudfinsson has finished on a podium in a budding profession featuring just three competitive appearances.
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The 2023 SMI featured eight events, that are as follows: Max Dumbbell, Bag Over Bar, Front Hold, Max Deadlift, Arm-Over-Arm Pull, Mooring Bitt Carry, Block Press, and a Farmer’s Carry and Yoke Medley. Listed below are the ultimate standings of the 2023 SMI, which had 10 competitors available vying for victory:
2023 Strongest Man in Iceland | Final Standings
- 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
To assist his case and repeat as SMI champion, Haraldsson won five of the eight events and was a runner-up in two others in a consistently dominant display. Here’s an outline of Haraldsson’s complete performance:
Kristján Jón Haraldsson | 2023 Strongest Man in Iceland Performance
- Max Dumbbell — 110 kilograms (242.5 kilos) | Tied for first place
- Bag Over Bar — Six in 19.51 seconds | Second place
- Front Hold — 37.31 seconds | Sixth place
- Max Deadlift — 400 kilograms (881.8 kilos) | First place
- Arm-Over-Arm Pull — 41.95 seconds | First place
- Mooring Bitt Carry — 40 meters | First place
- Block Press — 4 in 67.31 seconds | First place
- Farmer’s Carry & Yoke Medley — 38.15 seconds | Second place
The 2023 SMI is Haraldsson’s fourth victory in his last six contests dating back to the 2022 SMI. The strongman made his World’s Strongest Man (WSM) debut in the course of the 2023 iteration, where he finished in fifth place in Group 2. Haraldsson entered the game’s tentpole event as an alternate after Cheick “Iron Biby” Sanou withdrew on the primary day of the competition.
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Haraldsson’s continued prowess in his native country might quickly be making him the following Icelandic superstar strongman. That’s since the athlete can be the defending Iceland’s Strongest Man (2022). Provided Haraldsson continues his recent meteoric pace, he can be following within the footsteps of respective Iceland icons in 2018 WSM champion Hafthor Björnsson and four-time WSM victor (1991, 1994-1996) Magnús Ver Magnússon.
There’s an extended approach to go before Haraldsson can match the rap sheet of two of the best strongmen ever. A few of his initial momentum is, nonetheless, a positive step in the fitting direction toward that type of illustrious legacy.
Featured image: @palmigudfinnsson on Instagram