Published:
Readtime: 4 min
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
- Strongman champion and Game of Thrones star Hafthor Bjornsson has broken the world deadlift record for the third time in his career.
- In front of a live audience, the Icelandic athlete set a new record at 510kg, exceeding his 505kg lift from July 2025.
- Bjornsson played the hulking character ‘The Mountain‘ in the HBO series from 2014 to 2019 and was crowned World’s Strongest Man in 2018.
Icelandic strongman Hafthor Bjornsson has shattered the world deadlift record for the third time in his career. In front of a live audience at the Mutant World Deadlift Championships in Birmingham, Bjornsson lifted an incredible 510kg (1,124.4lb), smashing the 505kg record he set earlier this year. Stepping up to the platform, the 6ft 9in behemoth looked every bit a picture of poise, casually lifting the enormous weight effortlessly.
“Crazy how easy it felt,” Bjornsson wrote on Instagram following his feat. “I honestly believe I could have deadlifted 530kg.”
Importantly, Bjornsson’s 510kg lift was completed with conventional form, rather than sumo style or partial. A partial deadlift, also known as a rack pull or block pull, is a variation of the move performed with a reduced range of motion. Athletes traditionally start with the barbell on blocks or safety pins in a power rack, allowing them to use more weight than a conventional deadlift, and build strength in the upper portion of the lift. In 2022, Ukrainian strongman Oleksii Novikov completed a 549kg partial deadlift at the Shaw Classic Competition; however, the nature of the lift makes it ineligible for Bjornsson’s record.
The remarkable performance was just one element of Bjornsson’s incredible display of power over the weekend. The strongman also claimed victory in the Giants Live World Open, dominating the Power Stairs and Front Hold events. The event organisers described his work in the former, where he lifted all four weights in just 31.03 seconds, as possibly ‘the greatest performance in strength sports history’.
Bjornsson, who holds 32 international wins and 129 world records, is the third most decorated strongman in history and is widely regarded as the strongest recorded athlete to have ever lived. The 199kg man mountain is the only person to have won the Arnold Strongman Classic, Europe’s Strongest Man, and World’s Strongest Man titles in the same calendar year, a feat he achieved in 2018.
Outside of strongman circles, many remember Bjornsson for his intimidating performance as Ser Gregor ‘The Mountain’ Clegane in the HBO series Game of Thrones. He made regular appearances in the series from season four through eight, and his recurring character became a fan favourite.
In recent years, the Icelandic giant has pivoted interests, taking a brief foray into combat sports. In 2020, after breaking the deadlift world record for the first time, Bjornsson challenged the previous title holder and vicious rival, Eddie Hall, to a boxing match. Both athletes trained immensely in the lead-up to the fight, with Bjornsson dropping a whopping 64kg to stay light and mobile on his feet.
In March 2022, almost two years after Bjornsson’s initial call-out, the two strongmen finally clashed in a fight labelled ‘The Heaviest Boxing Match in History‘. The six-round bout started evenly, but as the match wore on, Bjornsson took control, ultimately winning the fight via unanimous decision. At that point, it was believed that the Icelandic legend would move into boxing full-time; however, a stretch of powerlifting training rekindled his love of strength. Bjornsson officially confirmed his return to strongman competition in February 2023.
Comments
We love hearing from you. or to leave a comment.