Hafthor Bjornsson
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (Icelandic: [ˈhafθour ˈjuːlijʏs ˈpjœr̥sɔːn] (About this soundlisten); often transliterated as Hafthor; born 26 November 1988) is an Icelandic professional strongman and actor. He is the first person to have won the Arnold Strongman Classic, Europe's Strongest Man and World's Strongest Man in the same calendar year.[1][2] He played Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane in the HBO series Game of Thrones for five seasons. He also is a former professional basketball player.
Born in Reykjavík, Hafþór began his basketball career in 2004 with Division I team Breiðablik, moving to FSu in 2005. He transferred to Premier League side KR in 2006 before returning to FSu in 2007. He helped FSu to promotion from Division I to the Premier League but his career was cut short in 2008 due to a recurrent ankle injury. He subsequently began his strongman career.
Hafþór won the Strongest Man in Iceland event in 2010, and won Iceland's Strongest Man in 2011. He won Europe's Strongest Man in 2014, a feat he repeated in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019. He won gold at the Arnold Strongman Classic in 2018, 2019 and 2020. He started competing in World's Strongest Man in 2011, placing sixth and subsequently has won three bronze and three silver medals in his next six attempts before being crowned champion in 2018.
He is the first man in history to lift more than 500 kg, lifting a record breaking 501 kg in May 2020. This record was set during a televised event on ESPN on 2 May 2020 and broke a record established by Eddie Hall in 2016.
Basketball career
Hafþór began his athletic career as a basketball player. At 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in),[3] he started his senior team career with Division I club Breiðablik in 2004, playing as a center. In 2005 he joined FSu Selfoss, also in the Icelandic Division I. After 10 games it was discovered that he had been playing with a broken bone in his ankle and would require surgery. After recovering from surgery, Hafþór moved to Úrvalsdeild powerhouse KR in 2006.[4] He missed most of the 2006–2007 season after a screw in his ankle shattered and had to be fixed by another surgery.[5]
For the 2007–2008 season, he moved back to play for FSu Selfoss. He averaged 6.7 points per game,[6] helping the team achieve promotion to the Úrvalsdeild,[7] but the troublesome ankle forced him to retire from basketball after the season, at the age of 20.[8][9]
Between 2004 and 2006 Hafþór played 32 games for the Icelandic junior national basketball teams.[10] In 2006 he played 8 games with Iceland's U-18 national team in Division A of the U18 European Championship.[11]
Strongman career
Hafþór met Icelandic strongman Magnús Ver Magnússon at his gym "Jakaból" in 2008, and Magnús said that Hafþór seemed a good prospect as a strongman.[14] Hafþór won several strongman contests in Iceland in 2010 including Strongest Man in Iceland,[15] Iceland's Strongest Viking, Westfjords Viking,[16] and five of six events at the OK Badur Strongman Championships.[17]
Hafþór finished in second place at the inaugural Jón Páll Sigmarsson Classic in November 2010, behind Brian Shaw.[18] He won the 2011 Strongest Man in Iceland contest on 4 June 2011,[19] and the 2011 Iceland's Strongest Man contest on 18 June 2011.[20] He placed fourth in the Giants Live Poland 2011 event on 6 August 2011.[citation needed]
In January 2015, at the World's Strongest Viking competition held in Norway, Hafþór carried a 10-metre-long (33 ft), 650-kilogram (1,430 lb) log for five steps, thus breaking a 1,000-year-old record set by Orm Storolfsson.[21]
World's Strongest Man
Hafþór took part in World's Strongest Man after earning a wild card invitation to the 2011 contest.[22] He came in sixth overall. Taking part again in ensuing years, he placed third in 2012, 2013 and 2015. He finished runner-up in 2014 event[23] to Žydrūnas Savickas and again in the 2016 event to Brian Shaw.[24] In 2017, Hafþór once again was runner up, this time to Eddie Hall.[25] Hafþór won the 2018 World's Strongest Man,[1][2] thus becoming the first Icelander to win the title since Magnús Ver Magnússon in 1996.[26]
Arnold Strongman Classic
On 3 March 2018, Hafþór broke the Elephant Bar deadlift world record with his successful 472 kg (1,041 lb) third attempt, as well as being champion of the Arnold Strongman Classic 2018. The previous Elephant Bar deadlift world record of 468 kg (1,032 lb) was set by Jerry Pritchett at the Arnold Strongman Classic 2017.[27][28]
Hafþór defended his title at the Arnold Strongman Classic 2019; he finished on 45 points, 4.5 points ahead of runner-up Martins Licis. He also improved on his elephant bar world record, increasing it to 474 kg (1,045 lb) with his second attempt. He tried for 501 kg (1,105 lb) in his third attempt but was unsuccessful.[29][30]
After successfully defending his crown Hafþór became only the second person to win 3 Arnold Strongman Classics in a row (2018, 2019 and 2020) after Zydrunas Savickas.
Acting career
Hafþór was cast as Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane for the fourth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones in August 2013.[31] This was his first main acting role, and he is the third person to depict the character after Conan Stevens played the role in season 1 and Ian Whyte in season 2. He became the first actor to portray Clegane in more than one continuous season with his appearances in seasons four through eight. [32] Hafþór was cast for the role of Mongkut in the 2017 film Kickboxer: Retaliation.
Hafþór played the lead role in the Philadelphia Renaissance Faire during their debut season in 2015. He appeared as "King Thor", the leader of a Viking raiding party intent on capturing the city of Amman.[33]
Personal life
Family and relationships
Hafþór was born in Reykjavík.[34] His father, Björn, stands at 203 cm (6 ft 8 in),[17] and his mother, Ragnheiður, is of similarly tall stature.[34] Hafþór's grandfather, Reynir, is 207 cm (6 ft 9 1⁄2 in)[17] and "just as broad across the chest". Reynir recalled in 2014 that Hafþór worked on the family farm outside Reykjavík as a child and "was always big, even when he wasn't tall".[34]
Hafþór has a daughter, Theresa Líf, with former girlfriend Thelma Björk Steimann.[35][36][37][38][39] Until early 2017, he was in a relationship with Andrea Sif Jónsdóttir whom he met at a gym. They lived together in Reykjavik. In an online video interview by Mulligan Brothers published 21 December 2019, Hafþór laments not having seen his daughter in three years.[40]
Since late 2017, Hafþór had been dating Kelsey Henson, a Canadian waitress. The two met when Hafþór was in Alberta, Canada for a strongman competition and visited the bar where Henson worked. The couple garnered much attention for the difference in their respective heights, as Henson is 157 cm (5 ft 2 in).[39][41][42] On 21 October 2018, Hafþór announced on his Instagram page that he and Henson are married.[43][44] On 11 April, 2020, Hafþór announced on his Instagram page, that he and Henson were expecting their first child together. [39][45]
Tattoos
Hafþór has several tattoos including those in relation to Norse deities and the Viking culture. He also has a tattoo of Jón Páll Sigmarsson on his calf.[46][47]
Health
Hafþór and his former girlfriend Andrea have spoken about his occasional sleep troubles after a heavy meal due to his body weight.[46][47]
In March 2017, he was diagnosed with Bell's palsy.[48][42]
Endorsements
Hafþór is a brand ambassador for SodaStream, a company involved in manufacture of a device for making carbonated water at home. He has appeared in advertisements of the brand promoting environmental awareness and collaborated in one with fellow Game of Thrones actor Hannah Waddingham (who played Septa Unella).[49][50][51]
Icelandic Mountain Vodka
In 2016, Hafþór co-founded the spirits brand Icelandic Mountain Vodka. The main focus of the company is a seven-time distilled Icelandic vodka, as well as having a gin production.[52][53]
Personal records
Strongman
Official meets:
Tire deadlift – 460 kg (1,014 lb) raw with wrist straps[54]
Deadlift with straps and suit – 501 kilograms (1,105 lb; 79 st) (World record)
Deadlift – 474 kg (1,045 lb) Elephant bar, strongman raw with wrist straps (Arnold Strongman Classic 2019, World Record)[55]
Log press – 213 kg (470 lb) (Europe's Strongest Man 2018) [56]
Log carry – [5 steps] 650 kg (1,433 lb)[57]
Keg toss – 7.15 m (23 ft)[58]
Keg toss – 8 kegs in 16.35 seconds (World's Strongest Man 2014). Strongman record.[59]
Set in training:
Deadlift – 480 kg (1,058 lb) Replica Elephant bar, raw with wrist straps[60]
Powerlifting
Set at competitive meets:
Squat (with wraps) – 440 kg (970 lb) (Thor's Powerlifting Challenge 2018)[61]
Bench press – 250 kg (551 lb) (Thor's Powerlifting Challenge 2018)[61]
Deadlift – 410 kg (904 lb) (Thor's Powerlifting Challenge 2018)[61]
Total - 1,100 kg (2,425 lb) (Thor's Powerlifting Challenge 2018)
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