Sport in Iceland

Sports in Iceland are very popular. Though changing in the past years, Icelanders remain a very healthy nation. Popular sports today are mainly football, athletics and basketball. Sports such as golf, volleyball, tennis, swimming, chess and horseback riding on Icelandic horses are also popular.

Chess is a popular type of recreation favored by the Icelanders and the country's chess clubs have created many chess Grandmasters including Friðrik Ólafsson, Jóhann Hjartarson, Margeir Pétursson, and Jón Arnason. "Glíma" is a form of wrestling that is still played in Iceland, thought to have originated with the Vikings. Swimming and horseback riding are popular as well as leisure activities without competition. Golf is especially common; around 1 in 8 Icelanders play the sport. [cite web|title=Golf.is|accessmonthday=August 25 |accessyear=2007|url=http://www.golf.is/index.jsp?ib_page=884&iw_language=is_IS] Team handball is often referred to as a national sport, Iceland's team is one of the top ranked teams in the world and their latest and most prestigious achievement so far is winning the silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Moreover, although the men's football team is quite mediocre, Icelandic women are surprisingly good at football compared to the size of the country, the national team ranked the eighteenth best by FIFA.

Ice and rock climbing are a favorite among many Icelanders, for example to climb the top of the 4,167-foot (1,270 metre) Þumall peak in Skaftafell National Park is a challenge for many adventurous climbers, but mountain climbing is considered to be more suitable for the general public and is a very common type of leisure activity. Hvítá, among many other of the Icelandic glacial rivers, attracts kayakers and river rafters worldwide.

Icelanders are famous for their immense strength. Strength athletics and powerlifting has has been Iceland's greatest success in sports on an international level. In the World's Strongest Man competition, Iceland is ranked the number 1 nation with 8 finishes in 1st place (Magnús Ver Magnússon and Jón Páll Sigmarsson with four victories each one) , and numerous 2nd and 3rd placings. In powerlifting, Benedikt Magnússon placed the world record deadlift, of 445kg, at the early age of 20. He recently set the world record of 1100lbs for the tire deadlift.

The oldest sport association in Iceland is the Reykjavik Shooting Association, founded 1867. Rifle shooting became very popular in the 19th century and was heavily encouraged by politicians and others pushing for Icelandic independence. Shooting remains popular and all types of shooting with small arms practiced in the country. [cite web|title=Skotfélag Reykjavíkur|accessmonthday=September 2 |accessyear=2007|url=http://www.sr.is/Stofnun_og_saga_SR.htm]

References

ee also

* Football in Iceland
* Glíma
* Round Iceland
* Cricket in Iceland