Who was Jon Pall Sigmarsson? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Died At Age: 32

Family:

children: Sigmar Freyr Jónsson

Born Country: Iceland

Strongmen Icelandic Men

Height: 6'3" (190 cm), 6'3" Males

Died on: January 16, 1993

place of death: Reykjavík, Iceland

Cause of Death: Cardiac Arrest

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Childhood & Personal Life

Jon Pall Sigmarsson was born on April 28, 1960, in Hafnarfjordur (Hafnarfjörður), Iceland, toSigmar Jonsson, and Dora Jonsdottir. . He was a robust kid, right from the time of his birth. Sigmarsson was raised by his mother, and foster father, Sveinn Guomundsson. Although Sigmarsson spent his early childhood in villages, his family relocated to the capital city of Iceland, Reykjavik, when he was nine years old.

He worked as a farmhand during his childhood. He assisted his foster father in carrying pails of water, and in seal hunts. He was trained in the traditional Icelandic wrestling, Glima. He was competent in swimming and karate, and also played football and handball.

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Career

In 1976, Sigmarsson was introduced to powerlifting. In 1978, he started training at Jakabol. It was only in the 1980s that he started competing in professional championships. He held Icelandic records for all categories of powerlifting, such as bench press, deadlifting, and squat. His best performances came in the deadlift category. He had set European records, too, in this category.

In 1980 and 1981, he won the second position in the ‘European Powerlifting Championship.’ In 1980, he won the ‘Icelandic Olympic Weightlifting Championship,’ too. In 1983, he was crowned the winner at the ‘European Powerlifting Championship.’ In 1981, he was named ‘Icelandic Sportsperson of the Year.’

In 1983, Jon Pall Sigmarsson participated in the ‘World’s Strongest Man’ competition. In this event, he lost the first place to Geoff Capes. In the same year, he participated in ‘Europe’s Strongest Man’ championship, and won the third position. In 1984, he defeated Capes, to claim the ‘World’s Strongest Man’ title.

In 1984, Sigmarsson entered the ‘Icelandic Bodybuilding Championship.’ He cut down his body weight in order to prepare for the championship. He won the title in the +90 kg category. It was a rare achievement to win both bodybuilding title and strongman title, in the same year.

In 1985, he lost the ‘World’s Strongest Man’ title to Geoff Capes. In the same year, he won the ‘World Muscle Power Championship.’ He was also crowned as ‘Europe’s Strongest Man.’ Sigmarsson won the title of ‘Iceland’s Strongest Man’ for three consecutive years, from 1985 to 1987. After a gap of two years, he regained the title for the next three consecutive years, from 1990 to 1992.

In 1986, Sigmarsson won the ‘World’s Strongest Man’ and ‘Europe’s Strongest Man’ title for the second time. In the same year, he won the ‘World Muscle Power Championship,’ too, for the second time. In 1987, he competed in the ‘Pure Strength’ competition, where he competed with many-time winners, such as Geoff Capes and Bill Kazmaier. He won the competition.

In 1988, he won the title of the ‘World’s Strongest Man.’ However, at the ‘World Muscle Power Championship,’ he had to remain content with a third position. In the same year, he claimed the second spot at the ‘Europe’s Strongest Man’ competition.

In 1990, he again won the title of the ‘World’s Strongest Man,’ becoming the first man to win the title four times. In 1989, 1990 and 1991, he won the ‘World Muscle Power Championship,’ too. In 1990, Sigmarsson was placed at the fourth position in the ‘Europe’s Strongest Man’ competition. During this period, he was troubled by several injuries, which affected his performance.

Personal Life & Legacy

Jon Pall Sigmarsson died on January 16, 1993, at the age of 32. While training for a deadlift in his gym, he suffered an aortic rupture. He collapsed and died on the spot. It was reported that his death was due to a congenital heart defect that affected several other members of his family.

He has a son, Sigmar Freyr, from Ragnheiour Sverrisdottir. He was known to be aggressive on court, but soft-spoken outside the court. He was much disciplined about his training and diet.

In 2012, Jon Pall Sigmarsson was inducted into the ‘World’s Strongest Man Hall of Fame.’ A documentary titled ‘Larger than Life’ was made on the life of Sigmarsson.

Trivia

Sigmarsson was known for his aggressive quotes while performing. After his first win at the ‘World’s Strongest Man,’ he shouted, “The king has lost his crown,” referring to his opponent. After winning another prestigious title, he shouted the words, “There is no reason to be alive if you can’t do deadlift.” This is his most famous quote.

Jon Pall Sigmarsson Biography