The Most Famous
ATHLETES from Iceland
Top 6
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Icelander Athletes of all time. This list of famous Icelander Athletes is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Vilhjálmur Einarsson (1934 - 2019)
With an HPI of 49.39, Vilhjálmur Einarsson is the most famous Icelander Athlete. His biography has been translated into 20 different languages on wikipedia.
Vilhjálmur Einarsson (5 June 1934 – 28 December 2019) was an Icelandic track and field athlete, and triple-jump silver medalist at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Vilhjálmur grew up in the East-Icelandic fishing village of Reyðarfjörður and was the son of Einar Stefánsson and Sigríður Vilhjálmsdóttir. In 1956 Vilhjálmur set a new Olympic Record by jumping 16.26 m in the triple jump, only to be surpassed by Brazil's Adhemar da Silva in the same competition. This was the most unexpected result of the Olympics that year, and his silver medal was Iceland's first ever Olympic medal. In 1958 he took bronze in the triple jump at the European Athletics Championships in Stockholm, Sweden, with 16.00 m. His personal best was 16.70 m set in 1960 in Laugardalsvöllur, Iceland. He was named Icelandic Sportsperson of the Year five times, more times than anyone else. Vilhjálmur was also a headmaster of three schools: Héraðsskólinn in Laugarvatn, Reykholtsskóli in Reykholt, and Menntaskólinn in Egilsstaðir, where he later worked as a part-time mathematics teacher. He also was a painter, specializing in landscape painting, and his work has been on display in several art galleries in Iceland. He attended Dartmouth College. His son Einar Vilhjálmsson later represented Iceland in the men's javelin throw at the Summer Olympics (1984, 1988 and 1992).
2. Torfi Bryngeirsson (1926 - 1995)
With an HPI of 45.20, Torfi Bryngeirsson is the 2nd most famous Icelander Athlete. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Torfi Bryngeirsson (11 November 1926 – 16 July 1995) was an Icelandic athlete who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics and in the 1952 Summer Olympics. Torfi was born in Búastaðar on 11 November 1926. He died in Reykjavík on 16 July 1995, aged 68. In 2015, Torfi was inducted in to the National Olympic and Sports Association of Iceland
3. Vala Flosadóttir (b. 1978)
With an HPI of 34.58, Vala Flosadóttir is the 3rd most famous Icelander Athlete. Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.
Vala Flosadóttir (born 16 February 1978 in Reykjavík) is an Icelandic former athlete competing in the pole vault.
4. Aníta Hinriksdóttir (b. 1996)
With an HPI of 22.60, Aníta Hinriksdóttir is the 4th most famous Icelander Athlete. Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Aníta Hinriksdóttir (born 13 January 1996) is an Icelandic middle-distance track athlete who specializes in the 800 metres. She won the bronze medal in the event at the 2017 European Indoor Championships and a silver at the 2017 European Under-23 Championships. As a 16-year old, she placed fourth in the 800 m at the 2012 World U20 Championships before winning the event at the 2013 World U18 Championships and European U20 Championships. Hinriksdóttir is the Icelandic record holder for the 800 m and 1500 m outdoors and indoors and holds also three other individual national records. She won 13 Icelandic titles.
5. Anton McKee (b. )
With an HPI of 0.00, Anton McKee is the 5th most famous Icelander Athlete. His biography has been translated into different languages.
Anton Sveinn McKee (born 18 December 1993 in Reykjavík) is a retired Icelandic swimmer who competes in the Men's 400m individual medley.
6. Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson (b. )
With an HPI of 0.00, Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson is the 6th most famous Icelander Athlete. His biography has been translated into different languages.
Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson (born 2 September 1985 in) is an Icelandic sport shooter who competes in the men's 10 metre air pistol. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he finished 14th in the qualifying round, failing to make the cut for the final. He also took part in the 50 metre pistol, finishing in 32nd place.
People
Pantheon has 6 people classified as Icelander athletes born between 1926 and 1996. Of these 6, 4 (66.67%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Icelander athletes include Vala Flosadóttir, Aníta Hinriksdóttir, and Anton McKee. The most famous deceased Icelander athletes include Vilhjálmur Einarsson, and Torfi Bryngeirsson. As of April 2024, 3 new Icelander athletes have been added to Pantheon including Torfi Bryngeirsson, Anton McKee, and Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson.
Living Icelander Athletes
Go to all Rankings
Vala Flosadóttir
1978 - Present
HPI: 34.58
Aníta Hinriksdóttir
1996 - Present
HPI: 22.60
Anton McKee
HPI: 0.00
Ásgeir Sigurgeirsson
HPI: 0.00
