Andrés Guðmundsson

Career Early life Andrés loved sports from his childhood and played volleyball as a kid. He also developed a passion towards athletics and specialized track and field events. He showed a major interest in throwing disciplines and specialized discus and shot put and the traditional Highland Games throwing events.

His discus career resulted in him being in fourteenth place on the Icelandic all-time list with a throw of performed for Ármann sports club, Reykjavík in 1991. In 1994 he was ranked Iceland's number 2 shot putter behind Pétur Guðmundsson (and 87th in the world) with a performance of . In 1996, he achieved his personal best of .

Strength athletics It didn't take Andrés long to realize his natural gift of strength where he started training Strongman events and won 1991 Icelandic Power Trial Championships. The following year he emerged runner up to Magnús Ver Magnússon and regained his title again in 1993.

Also in 1993, Andrés 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. Both the European Musclepower Championships and the Highland Games World Championships were held on a weekend on the same field in Callander, Scotland.

During mid 90s, he was widely regarded as one of the top dual threats in Highland Games and strongman, but was sidelined by a career threatening injury, a tear of his pectoral muscle. In 1999, he made a promising comeback and won the Iceland's Strongest Man (IFSA) competition in 1999. In August 1999 he had a podium finish in the Bison Highland Games, and during 2000 IFSA Helsinki Grand Prix, recurrence of the pec tear forced him to pull out Atlas Stones – 4 stones weighing to a 4 ft platform (1994 Strongest Man on Earth) Log press – (1993 World Viking Challenge) Viking press – x 8 reps (2000 IFSA Finland Grand Prix) Discus throw – for (1991) Shot put – for (1996) Weight over bar – over (1993 World Viking Challenge) Samson's barrow push – for course in 10.04 seconds (1994 Strongest Man on Earth) (World Record) Arm over Arm Cannon pull – for (1994 Strongest Man on Earth)

Personal life and career after sport Andrés is married to Lára Helgadóttir. They have two sons, Axel Óskar Andrésson and Jökull Andrésson, who both are professional football players.

Following his retirement, Andrés initiated Skólahreysti (School of Fitness) together with his wife Lára Helgadóttir. Its aim was to encourage children to take part in a wide-ranging sporting experience based on their general physical education curriculum. The first contest was held in 2005 with six schools participating and it quickly became a popular event in Iceland. 110 schools participated in 2009 season and its final which was broadcast live by RÚV had 49% of the entire Icelandic population tuned in.