“We will be here for a little over a week and we have seven Icelandic competitors, the first one will compete tomorrow, Kristrún Ingunn (Sveinsdóttir), our doctor who just graduated,” says the multi-experienced powerlifting giant Auðunn Jónsson in an interview with mbl.is from Druskininkai in Lithuania, but Auðunn is one of the three coaches of the Icelandic competition team at the world championships in classical powerlifting that started there today and is over a week.
A real party is ahead on Lithuanian soil, where Iceland is fielding its most powerful men and women in the steel, but this is probably a turning point in the competition, as the Icelandic group features both a doctor and a veterinarian, the aforementioned Kristrúna and the formidable Borgfirding, Kristína Þórhallsdóttir, a veterinarian and newly crowned European champion since St. Julians in Malta in March where Kristín lifted a total of 567.5 kilograms and it is not her first European Championship title as she also won it in 2021 in Västerås in Sweden with a total of 560 kg.
Other Icelandic competitors next week in Druskininkai are:
- Hanna Jóna Sigurjónsdóttir in the +84 kg category
- Þorbjörg Matthíasdóttir in the same party
- Friðbjörn Bragi Hlynsson in the -83 kg category
- Alexander Örn Kárason in -105 kg
- Helgi Jón Sigurðsson in -120 kg
Seven competitors who give everything for their country and nation, some of them in a row with tough opponents, but the tournament is crowded, 350 people, says Aúdunn, and up to 50 people in some weight categories.
Lawrence injured – the vet most likely
“Kristína has been doing very well lately and she is not struggling with any injuries now, a lot has happened there,” says Auðunn and conveys good news that arrived just yesterday.
“The world champion in recent years, Amanda Lawrence from the United States, who has held the 84 kg category for five or six years, is not competing in this tournament, she is injured in her thigh, so there is a good opportunity for Kristina, in fact there is an extremely powerful one from New Zealand, Karlina Tongotea, who has been in the category below but has now moved up a category and there has been a lot of competition between her and Amanda. So Kristín gets rid of one there but gets another one instead,” Auðunn says excitedly.
He says the Icelandic team is very strong and mentions both Helga Jón, who is now competing for the first time in the open category as well as the weight category, and Alexander Örn who has just come out of the 93 kg category and according to Auðun is in a huge improvement mode. “He has just broken Viktor’s (Samúelsson’s) Icelandic record and is improving tremendously, so it will be a lot of fun to watch what he does,” says Auðunn, but Viktor has given several interviews to mbl.is during his career, a slavish fighter and a good conversationalist.
Kristrún Ingunn and Alexander Örn have also spoken to mbl.is:
In addition to Auðunn, Hinrik Pálsson, former chairman of the Icelandic Powerlifting Association, and Laufey Agnarsdóttir are the head coaches of the Icelandic group, and Auðunn says that the hosts are good organizers who have actually got this year’s World Cup unexpectedly in their hands.
“It was supposed to be in Dubai, but the international federation decided this at the last minute because of the good conditions here and it’s a really cool, big sports hall and our hotel is right next to it,” says Auðunn Jónsson from Druskininkai in Lithuania, where a powerlifting party is coming up in the next few days, which mbl.is of course has eyes and ears on.
