Eygló Fanndal Sturludóttir is coming up big. She leads the 71-kilogram pack this year at the European Weightlifting Championships, but Eygló is still adjusting to her own popularity.
- "I used to go to competitions and there was no attention on me or anything," she told us at the athlete's hotel in Chisinau, Moldova. "It's so weird, but it's also really cool."
It's actually not that weird — Sturludóttir is on a rapid ascent in European weightlifting representing a country that has never produced a Senior European champion (Eygló won U23 Europeans in 2022, a first for her national federation).
Last year, at Euros, Eygló missed the podium; a misstep she isn't expected to make again this time. Weightlifting House caught up with Iceland's rising star on Apr. 15, just a few days before her session.
Eygló's Rising Star
"It's going quite well right now," Eygló told us, referring to her blossoming career. "I don't think there's much standing in my way, and if there was, I would have fixed it."
"Going well" is an understatement: Not only does Eygló have a five-kilogram lead on her competitors heading into the Women's 71s, her 245-kilogram declaration is six higher than her career best.
"People are expecting something of me because of the start list," she explained. "I'm trying to figure out how to not freak out." In her position, we'd freak out a little bit. A 245-kilogram total would put Eygló on the 71-kilogram podium at three World Weightlifting Championships events since 2018.
We can also see a clear trend looking at some of her recent competition results. Sturludóttir has attended 11 IWF events. Since Europeans in 2023, she's taken off:
- 2023 European Weightlifting Championships: 217
- 2023 IWF Grand Prix I: 220
- 2023 World Weightlifting Championships: 225
- 2023 IWF Grand Prix II: 231
- 2024 European Weightlifting Championships: 230
- 2024 IWF World Cup: 236
- 2024 IWF World Weightlifting Championships: 239
"I'm trying to figure out how to not freak out."
Eygló hasn't made it to the Senior podium yet, but we reckon that's about to change. More than improving her platform performance, Eygló also recently smashed a 180-kilogram squat and a massive 150-kilogram jerk, indicating she has more than enough strength to win it all in Chisinau.
- Looking Forward: Eygló is currently in medical school, but plans on pivoting entirely to weightlifting after she graduates in 2027. "I can focus on getting to the 2028 Olympics," she explained. "When I'm ready, I'll say goodbye to weightlifting."
Catch Eygló on stage at the 2025 European Weightlifting Championships on Apr. 17 on Weightlifting House TV.
