If you have never seen him compete at the World’s Strongest Man, then you have probably seen him in his role as the Mountain on Game of Thrones. Hafthor Bjornsson was one of the most dominant and prolific strongman competitors in recent years, sometimes being regarded as the strongest man who’s ever lived. After a ten year career as a professional strongman competitor, Bjornsson amassed an impressive collection of titles and championships from the likes of the World’s Strongest Man, the Arnold Strongman Classic and Europe’s Strongest Man. After a dominant run in the sport, Bjornsson decided to walk away on top and pursue other ventures.
It came as a surprise to many, but the legendary strongman would find his way into boxing. After a couple of years of training and exhibition matches with some professional boxers, Bjornsson would take on his old strongman rival, Eddie Hall, in a highly anticipated bout. Despite neither one of them having a lot of boxing experience, the seemingly bad blood between the two heavyweight juggernauts was enough to draw the attention of quite a few spectators. After a victory, it appeared that Bjornsson was going to pursue boxing full time and possibly pioneer a new weight division in the sport. It looked like he was done with strongman forever…or was he?
In a recent video posted to his YouTube channel, Bjornsson announced that he would be walking away from boxing. He explains that he set out to be a boxer in an attempt to prove to himself and others that he really could be a boxer. Bjornsson would face many critics who said he would never be able to crossover to the sport and be taken seriously. In his eyes, he was able to prove his critics wrong and make his family proud. That was enough for the Icelandic giant. Despite his hard work and determination to adapt to the new sport, he realized that he could not find his passion in boxing. It was time to focus on something else, something that he loved.
Hafthor Bjornsson announced that he will make his return as an athlete at the 2022 Rogue Invitational. During the competition, athletes will have a chance to break world records, and this is when Bjornsson will compete. It is no secret that Bjornsson holds a few world records. The records include the 1,105 pound deadlift, a 1,433 pound viking log carry and the 1,045 pound elephant bar deadlift. Afterall, he was one of the most dominant competitors in the sport of strongman; that will undoubtedly come with a few records. He also holds the world record for the weight over bar toss, which will be featured at the Rogue Invitational. His record stands at 56 pounds over a height of 20 feet and 2 inches. Bjornsson’s new challenge is to break his own world record.
On the surface, this might be a one time deal for the former world champion, but Bjornsson did acknowledge that his years as a competitor are finite. He understands that he is getting older, and he will only be able to compete at the highest level for a very limited time. Is his world record attempt at the Rogue Invitational just a way to get his feet wet again? Will he make a triumphant return to the sport of strongman? The sport has definitely changed since he left the competitive arena. There is a new crop of top strongman competitors with the likes of Luke Stoltman, Martins Licis and Oleksii Novikov. Now more than ever, they appear to be much more well rounded athletes. Can Bjornsson come out of retirement and take them on?
Only time will tell for sure, but I would like to think that he will make a return to the sport of strongman full time. He is one of the most prolific figures in the sport, and it would be interesting to see what he can do against today’s competitors. As far as I know, he hasn’t had any serious injuries that would hinder his performance. I also think that his crossover to boxing makes him out to be an even better athlete than we might think. Being dominant in one sport is one thing, but to completely change gears, commit to an entirely different sport and earn at least some level of respect is something that few athletes can do. Sure, he isn’t going to be winning any boxing titles, but I think his experience speaks to his versatility and adaptability. At the soon to be age of 34, Bjornsson doesn’t have that many competitive years left to contend for World’s Strongest Man. If he wants to win another title, now is the time. I would have to imagine that the current strongman competitors with their eyes on the next World’s Strongest Man title are sweating at least just a little at the prospect of having to contend with someone like Hafthor “the Mountain” Bjornsson.
If you are within driving distance of Baton Rouge and need a place to train for your next strongman competition, powerlifting meet or weightlifting meet, check out the Atlas Strength shop for all of your training needs. Send an email to cameron@atlasstrengthshop.com for your next visit. You can also check out our apparel line and programming options on our website. Be sure to like our Facebook page, here, and follow us on Instagram, here. Do you need a high quality energy supplement that won’t leave you with that crashing feeling? Check out veteran owned strikeforceenergy.com and use promo code ATLASSTRENGTH at checkout to get 20% off of your order. If you’re like me, and you like to bite down while lifting, you need to protect your teeth. Check out Impact Mouthguards and their custom molded mouth guards. Use promo code ATLASSTRENGTHSHOP at checkout to get 10% off of your order. But wait? What if you have a glorious Beard? Check out FerociousBeard.com and use Promo Code “ATLASSTRENGTH” to save 15% on all o your beard care!!
On November 19, 2022, the Atlas Strength Shop will be hosting its third annual strongman competition, the Rougarou Classic. If you are interested in competing, check out the event page on ironpodium.com
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