Learn more about the amazing Icelandic CrossFit Women that lead from the front in the Sport of Fitness.
Iceland is best known for its remote location between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. Geologically, it is a young island, formed 20 million years ago on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
In the past few years Iceland made its way into the spotlight with the volcano eruptions, harsh financial collapse and community-driven recovery ever since.
Most recently, the country is widely associated with the hit TV series Game Of Thrones – being the home of the White Walkers, hard-to-kill creatures with magical powers related to ice and cold. Along with the fantasy race from Beyond the Wall, Iceland is famous for the Viking explorers who settled the island back in 874 AD.
What CrossFit community knows best are the family names which end with “dóttir”. Icelanders are using the patronymic system: father’s name is combined with the term dóttir (means daughter, used for girls) or son (for boys).
You might have heard of family names like Thorisdóttir, Sigmundsdóttir and Davidsdóttir?
Icelandic CrossFit Women, what is the secret: the climate, genetics, water or the food?
The land of fire and ice has a sub-polar climate. Based on the studies done by deCODE, a company for analysing human genomes, Iceland also has the most homogenous population. Very well-known is the Icelandic water. Their cousine is based on dairy and fish, and includes dishes like Hákarl – rotten Greenland shark.
Or is it the fitness culture?
In 2014 VICE made a short documentary on their strongmen and fitness culture, labelling the country as “The Nest of Giants”. The film indicated that children grow up by engaging in sports and all kinds of physical activities.
“The thing is Iceland has a very big fitness culture. It’s not uncommon to find our gyms here packed out from 6am through to 8pm. People here just love it,” explained Ingunn Ludviksdottir in our interview with CrossFit Sport, she was part of the 2014 fittest team in Europe.
From Regionals, to Sanctionals, to the CrossFit Games, the Icelandic Dottirs are always on or near the top.
You might have heard of a two-time CrossFit Games champions Annie Thorisdóttir and Katrin Davidsdottir. But who are the other Icelandic CrossFit women? See our list of top 7.
1. Icelandic CrossFit Women – Annie Thorisdóttir
Full name: Anníe Mist Þórisdóttir
Height/weight: 170cm/68kg
Box: Reebok CrossFit Reykjavík
Annie is the first name of the Icelandic Queen. The two-time champion made her Games debut in 2009. As of 2021, along with two wins, Annie also has two second finishes in 2010 and 2014 – a year which marks her comeback after a back injury – and two bronze medals in 2017 and 2021.
In 2015 Annie won the Open, but finished 3rd at the Meridian Regional.
Video: DT with 70 kg.
2. Icelandic CrossFit Women – Sara Sigmundsdóttir
Full name: Ragnheidur Sara Sigmundsdóttir
Height/weight: 171cm/69kg
Box: CrossFit Sudurnes, Reykjanesbaer
If there is an athlete to be feared, it is Sara. Sara has won pretty much every competition format there is in CrossFit except for the CrossFit Games; from the worldwide CrossFit Open (3 times), to Regionals (also three times), to Sanctionals (3 wins as well).
As of 2021, she has competed in the CrossFit Games six times and earnt two third-place finishes.
Interview: Sara Sigmundsdottir – a rising CrossFit star from Iceland
Video: 100 kg clean and jerk for 2 reps.
Next: Katrin Tanja Davidsdóttir
3. Icelandic CrossFit Women – Katrin Tanja Davidsdóttir
Full name: Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir
Height/weight: 169cm/68kg
Box: Reebok CrossFit Reykjavík
Katrin’s first appearance at the CrossFit Games was in 2012 when she was only 19 years old. She finished 30th overall. A year later she placed 24th. She missed qualification in 2014 but went on to win the CrossFit Games two years in a row afterwards.
She has since finished inside the top 5 at the CrossFit Games every year with the exception of 2021.
Video: 20-rep jerk with 70 kg.
Next: Thuridur Erla Helgadóttir
4. Icelandic CrossFit Women – Thuridur Erla Helgadóttir
Meridian Regional finish: 5th
Full name: Þuríður Erla Helgadóttir
Height/weight: 164cm/59kg
Box: CrossFit Sport, Kopavogur
Like Katrin, Thuridur also made her CrossFit Games debut in 2012. That year she finished 35th overall. Last year she competed in Carson on a team with CrossFit Sport. Her background is gymnastics and athletics.
Video: Strict muscle-ups for 9 reps.
5. Icelandic CrossFit Women – Björk Odinsdóttir
Full name: Björk Óðinsdóttir
Age: 27
Height/weight: 160cm/62kg
Box: CrossFit Nordic, Sweden
In 2013 Björk had to skip the Regional due to back injury. Last year she made a debut at the CrossFit Games, finishing 19th overall. In 2015 she placed 7th at the Meridian Regional. Björk’s background? 14 years of gymnastics.
Interview: Björk Odinsdottir on Training Tips and Her Athletic Background
6. Icelandic CrossFit Women – Anna Hulda
Full name: Anna Hulda Ólafsdóttir
Height/weight: 165cm/60kg
Box: Reebok CrossFit Reykjavík
After finishing 9th at the 2014 European Regional, Anna took on the 2015 season with team CrossFit Reykjavík. They became the third fittest team in the Meridian region with a guaranteed spot at the CrossFit Games. Anna is also a CrossFit mom, Nordic champion in weightlifting and a teacher at the Reykjavik University.
Video: Overhead squat with 75 kg for 15 reps
7. Icelandic CrossFit Women – Hjördís Óskarsdóttir
Full name: Hjördís Ósk Óskarsdóttir
Height/weight: 163cm/61kg
Box: CrossFit XY, Gardabaer
Hjördís finished 11th at the Meridian Regional in 2015 and placed 2nd at the French Throwdown in 2015 as well. Her background is football (soccer) and basketball.
Video: Rack jerk with 105 kg.
Sources: CrossFit Games, Wikipedia, Wired, decode.
Image Sources
- Iceland-CrossFit-women: CrossFit Games