The 2018 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion, Hafthor “The Mountain” Björnsson, has successfully returned to the powerlifting arena. The six-foot, nine-inch tall Icelandic strongman turned boxer competed at his home training center, Thor’s Power Gym, in Reykjavik, Iceland, on Dec. 3, 2022, in the 2022 Thor’s Powerlifting Meet meet in the super heavyweight (+140-kilogram) weight class.
2022 Thor’s Powerlifting Meet Results — Hafthor Björnsson | +140KG (Raw w/Wraps)
- Squat — 380 kilograms (837.7 pounds)
- Bench Press — 210 kilograms (463 pounds)
- Deadlift — 380 kilograms (837.7 pounds)
- Total — 970 kilograms (2,138.5 pounds)
The competition was live-streamed on Björnsson’s YouTube channel and Twitch page. Check out the video coverage of the contest below:
[Related: Gabi Dixson Scores the Second Longest Hercules Hold at the 2022 World’s Strongest Nation Contest]
According to Open Powerlifting, this was the first time Björnsson competed in this contest since 2018. At the 2018 Thor’s Powerlifting Meet, he claimed gold via a 1,100-kilogram (2,425.1-pound) total. Here are his results:
2018 Thor’s Powerlifting Meet Results — Hafthor Björnsson | +140KG
- Squat — 440 kilograms (970 pounds)
- Bench Press — 250 kilograms (551.2 pounds)
- Deadlift — 410 kilograms (903.8 pounds)
- Total — 1,100 kilograms (2,425.1 pounds)
Björnsson fell short of his stated goal of a 1,000-kilogram total at the 2022 Thor’s Powerlifting Meet but matched his top training deadlift leading up to the contest of 380 kilograms (837.7 pounds). Check out that training lift in the video below, courtesy of his Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CljUt2WIKCq/
[Related: Terry Hollands Expected to Compete at the 2023 Britain’s Strongest Man Contest]
Since retiring from competitive strongman in 2020, following his 10th consecutive Iceland’s Strongest Man contest victory, Björnsson ventured into the world of boxing, which compelled him to drop significant bodyweight and lean out his enormous frame. It paid off in a seven-figure purse and a victory over rival 2017 WSM champion Eddie Hall, who tattooed Björnsson’s name on his foot as part of a wager the two former WSM champions made.
Björnsson has since dabbled with a return to strongman by breaking his weight-over-bar world record at the 2022 Rogue Record Breakers event during the 2022 Rogue Invitational weekend. We’ll see if Björnsson training his max lifts in the gym will translate to a return to the competitive strongman scene. As a former WSM champion, he holds a lifetime invite to any future WSM contest.
Featured image: @thorbjornsson on Instagram
