The attention of the strongman world was on the country of Iceland this past weekend. This year’s Iceland’s Strongest Man contest centered on Hafthor Bjornsson for two reasons. First, he would be going for his 10th consecutive title which would break a tie with Magnus ver Magnusson for the most ever. Second, it is believed to be the final contest for the former “Game of Thrones” star.
The contest had a limited number of fans in attendance in order to follow national guidelines because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The people that were in attendance got to witness history. The competition went as expected for Bjornsson. He not only won the contest, but he had it all but clinched by the time the fifth event was over. Rogue Fitness carried the event live on their YouTube channel.
The final event was anti-climactic in terms of the final placings but did have historical significance. The Husafell stone carry featured the actual Husafell Stone. Bjornsson did set a personal goal of winning all six events. He did and dropped the stone at 88.58 meters, well before reaching failure. He owns the world record for that event with 100 meters. There was speculation that he would attempt to break that record but ultimately chose not to.
In the interview following the final event, Bjornsson confirmed that he is retiring from the sport.
“Honestly, I’m grateful, I’m thankful, I’m happy with my decision. This has been a great career. It’s time to let this go and move on and do something else. I want to be healthy for my family, for my daughter, for my future son, and for my wife. This sport is very extreme. It takes a lot out of the body, and I want to make sure that I’m there for my family for a long time.”
He now focuses all of his training efforts on preparing for his September 2021 fight with Eddie Hall. If this is the final contest ever for the Icelandic legend, then the 31 year old’s resume reflects the career of a strongman that would go down as one of the most accomplished competitors ever.
2018 World’s Strongest Man
2018 World’s Ultimate Strongman Champion
3-time Arnold Strongman Classic Champion
5-time Europe’s Strongest Man
10-time Iceland’s Strongest Man
5-time Strongest Man in Iceland Champion
World-record 501 kg (1,104 pound) Deadlift
2020 Iceland’s Strongest Man Final Standings
Winner – Hafthor Bjornsson – 39 points
2nd Place – Eythor Melstèo – 31.5 points
3rd Place – Ari Gunnarson – 24.5 points
4th Place – Stefàn Torfason – 22 points
5th Place – Oskar Hafstein – 17 points
6th Place – Kristjàn Arnason – 9 points
*Stefan Petursson withdrew from the contest.
Featured Image: Instagram/thorbjornsson
