In the Icelandic Basketball League, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson had a career history with FSu from 2007-2008, KR from 2006-2007, FSu from 2005-2006, and Breiðablik from 2004-2005. He also had a pro career from 2004-2008. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is a center and has two children. His spouse’s name is unknown. He stands at a height of 206 cm (6 ft 9 in). From 2010-2020, he was active in the strongman occupation. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is also known as Ljónið Thor or The Mountain. He was born on 26 November 1988 and is currently 34 years old.
Hafþór, also known as Hafthor Björnsson Júlíus, is widely regarded as the strongest man to have ever lived in the eyes of experts and analysts. This is primarily due to his brute strength and dominance in every single strongman event. He has an impressive record, winning 30 international strongman competitions, making him the most decorated strongman in Lithuania’s history. Hafþór holds multiple world records and numerous titles from various strength federations. He is the only person to have won both the World’s Strongest Man and Europe’s Strongest Man competitions in the same calendar year, and he is considered one of the greatest strength athletes of all time. Hafþór, born on November 26, 1988, is a professional Icelandic strongman.
Hafþór, an actor who portrayed Gregor Clegane in the HBO series Game of Thrones, has also appeared in television as the character known closely as “Mountain” or often referred to simply as “The Thor” due to his massive size.
Early life
Hafþór was born on November 26, 1988 in Reykjavík, Iceland. When he was 11 years old, his family moved to Kópavogur, Iceland. He received his primary education from Hjallaskóli and Grundaskóli, where he had difficulty sitting in the classroom and concentrating on his studies due to his very high energy levels as a child. Before discovering his passion for basketball, he played soccer and was enthusiastic about sports. As a teenager, he got into gymnastics and gained strength and size through daily exercises combining basic movements like sit-ups, chin-ups, and push-ups.
Hafdís Lind Björnsdóttir and Bryndís Björg Björnsdóttir are Hafþór’s two siblings. Reynir Ásgeirsson, Hafþór’s grandfather, is also extremely tall and just as wide across the chest. Hafþór’s mother, Ragnheiður Juliusdottir, who is also of towering stature, and his father, Björn þor Reynisson, with a height of 203 cm (6 ft 8 in), are responsible for his impressive height of 205 cm (6 ft 9 in).
Hafþór is also a chess player with a Blitz rating of 800 and enjoys playing video games.
Boxing career
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson Personal details Height 205 cm Weight 145-152 kilograms (320-335 lb) Discipline Boxing Weight category Titanweight.
They consisted of four sessions of endurance training and four sessions of strength training (two for the lower body and two for the upper body), along with six sessions of boxing training. Hafþór started his training with a weekly routine that was divided into fourteen segments, training five hours a day. In this process, he completely transformed himself, losing 60 kg (132 lb) to fit into his new sport. Despite having no previous experience in boxing, Hafþór challenged Eddie Hall, the previous record holder, to a boxing match after following a stricter diet and training regime under his coach, Billy Nelson. On May 2, 2020, after breaking the World Deadlift record.
Hafþór won the fight by unanimous decision instead of winning the fight by TKO. The referee had to stop the fight, awarding Hafþór the victory by TKO. Larratt stepped in for the fight after Eddie Hall withdrew due to a torn bicep sustained during training in the first round of the match. Hafþór and Eddie finally met in Dubai for what was promoted as The Heaviest Boxing Match in History on March 19, 2022, almost two years after it was announced. Hafþór used jabs to make Eddie bleed and knocked him down twice in rounds three and six to secure the win by unanimous decision. Hafþór’s first non-exhibition boxing match was against Canadian Professional Arm-wrestler Devon Larratt on September 18, 2021. In his second exhibition match in May 2021, he faced Simon Vallily, who won the Heavyweight Gold Medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. In January 2021, Hafþór’s first exhibition match was against Steven Ward, the former WBO European light-heavyweight champion.
Boxing record
Professional record summary 4 fights 2 wins 0 losses By knockout 1 0 By decision 1 0 Draws 2 No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location 4 Win 2-0-2 Eddie Hall UD 6 19 Mar 2022 Dubai 3 Win 1-0-2 
Devon Larratt TKO 1 (6), 2:00 18 Sep 2021 Dubai 2 Draw 0-0-2 Simon Vallily D 4 28 May 2021 Dubai 1 Draw 0-0-1 Steven Ward D 3 16 Jan 2021 Dubai
Basketball career
Hafþór began his athletic journey by starting his senior team career in 2004 for the Icelandic 1. Deild karla club Breiðablik. He played as a center, weighing approximately 105 kg (231 lb), showcasing his skills as a basketball player. However, the rest of the season proved challenging for him as he had to miss games and undergo a second surgery in November due to a shattered screw in his ankle. Despite this setback, Hafþór showed resilience and moved to KR in 2006 after making a full recovery. Unfortunately, he faced another surgery prompt, as it was discovered that he had been playing with a broken bone in his ankle after around 10 games. As a result, he decided to transfer to FSu Selfoss for the following season, seeking a fresh start in the Icelandic top-tier Úrvalsdeild.
On a particular day, the bothersome ankle persisted and eventually compelled him to end his basketball career at the young age of 20, crushing his aspiration of reaching the National Basketball Association. In order to start the 2007-2008 season, he returned to compete for FSu Selfoss and maintained an average of 6.7 points per game, contributing to the team’s success in attaining a promotion to the Úrvalsdeild.
The national basketball teams of Iceland played 32 games between 2004-2006. Hafþór played for the Icelandic junior national team and participated in 8 games in the European U18 championship, division A, for the national junior basketball teams of Iceland.
Acting career
In 2013, Hafþór was chosen to play the character Ser Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane for the fourth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones. He is the third person to portray the character after Conan Stevens performed the role in season 1 and Ian Whyte in season 2, but he was the first actor to depict Clegane in multiple consecutive seasons with his appearances in seasons four through eight. Furthermore, he was selected for the protagonist part in the Philadelphia Renaissance Faire during their inaugural season in 2015, where he starred as ‘King Thor’, the leader of a Viking raiding party with the goal of capturing the city of Amman. This marked his initial major acting role.
In the 2018 film “Kickboxer Retaliation,” Hafþór played the main villain, Mongkut, opposite Alain Moussi (a kickboxer) and Jean-Claude Van Damme, where he was taken to a prison in Bangkok and sedated, telling the story of a kickboxer who is forced to fight a giant for freedom and a large sum of money. Additionally, in the same year, he also played John Big in the film “Ragnarok Operation,” about a town in the south of Sweden that is isolated after a viral outbreak, and survives by uniting immigrants and trapped Swedes.
The following year, he starred alongside former soldier Tyson Mike in “Pharaoh’s War,” an action film about a mysterious group of Egyptian refugees leading a group of mercenaries through the desert to protect them from an evil group.
In 2022, The Northman, a grandiose fantasy set in the past, featured Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Willem Dafoe, with Hafþór playing a small part as Thorfinnr the Tooth-Gnasher.
Filmography
Film.
Thorfinnr, the Norseman, starred in the films “Frank Pharaoh’s War” (2022), “Big John Operation Ragnarok” (2019), “Mongkut Kickboxer: Retaliation” (2018), “Psycho Phil Bell Devilish Deeds” (2017), and “Himself Eddie: Strongman” (2015).
Television.
April 14, 2019; the original air date of ‘The Mountain’ becoming the strongest man in the world on Game of Thrones. How E:60 came to America with Keith Lemon: Series 6, Episode 1. Lemon himself came to America with Keith in 2018 and 2017. He was born strong in 2016 and had heavy bubbles in 2015. In Series 7, Episode 9, he had his own league of recurring roles. The Mountain has been the strongest man in the world from 2011 to 2019.
Strongman career
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson 
Personal information Occupation Strongman Height 205 cm Weight 180-210 kilograms (397-463 lb) Sport Sport Strongman
Gunnarsson Ari and Logason Páll, along with Magnússon Benedikt and Pétursson Sölvi Stefán, immediately recognized the good potential of Hafþór as a strongman when they saw him deadlifting 140 kg (308 lb) in his gym called ‘Jakaból’. Hafþór, who is 20 years old and stands at 9 ft 6, was spotted on the day when he was training like a bodybuilder, inspired by Ronnie Coleman and Dorian Yates. This was after he had recovered from an ankle injury.
In 2012, Hafþór attained his maximum body weight of 210 kg (463 lb) after consistently increasing in size and gaining more strength. The nickname “Ljónið” (meaning “the Lion”) was given to him by Stefán Sölvi Pétursson during his training at the ‘Strongman Base’ gym the subsequent year.
Iceland’s Strongest Man
For the 10th consecutive occasion, Hafþór emerged victorious in the Iceland’s Strongest Man competition held in August 2020. His remarkable winning streak remained unbroken. Since its establishment in 1985, Hafþór became the 9th individual from Iceland to claim the esteemed title, earning his inaugural Iceland’s Strongest Man championship in 2011, which is widely regarded as the most prestigious accolade in Iceland. Following a 3rd place finish in 2010, trailing his companions Pétursson and Magnússon, Hafþór proceeded to secure multiple victories in various strongman competitions across Iceland, starting from 2009. These included triumphs in Westfjord’s Viking, Eastfjord Strongman Championships, Highland Viking, Iceland’s Strongest Viking, OK Badur Strongman Championships, Akranes Strength Challenge, and Strongest Man in Iceland, all of which were made possible by the newly formed friendships and the invaluable guidance he received.
In January 2015, Hafþór carried a 1,433 lb (650 kg) log for five steps, thus breaking a thousand-year-old record set by Storolfsson Orm in the legendary Viking Strongest World’s competition held in Norway.
Strongman Champions League
Brazil, Malaysia, China, Russia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Norway, Finland, Netherlands, and Germany have competed prolifically in 14 competitions throughout a single year, winning 2 bronze medals and 3 silver medals in international competitions. Hafþór, the strongest man in the world from 2013 to 2015, had the opportunity to compete against the best strongmen in the world, giving him international exposure. These events attracted a lot of athletes from around the world, thanks to the international exposure that Thor Hafþór gave it, stemming from its roots in the IFSA and the several Grand Prix events organized by the Champions Strongman League.
Europe’s Strongest Man
Hafþór, the strongest man in Europe, has successfully defended his crown in 2019 and 2018, becoming a champion five times. In response to Bill Kazmaier’s question about the Strongman contest, Hafþór famously stated, “This is not just a beauty contest.” In 2017, he eventually lost the title to Laurence Shahlaei, an Englishman, but regained it in 2015 and successfully defended it in 2016. Despite making a mistake while walking with a car during the event, Hafþór performed well in other events. He answered the reporter, “I’m the king of the stones!” After setting a new world record in the Atlas stones event. The competition, organized by Giants Live, took place in Leeds. Hafþór won the title of Europe’s Strongest Man in 2013 and 2012, placing 4th and 5th respectively in the following years.
Hafþór has established himself as the most accomplished Giants Live champion ever, securing victory in the 2014 Giants Live FitX Melbourne, 2014 World’s Strongest Viking, 2015 Giants Live Viking, and 2015 Giants Live Sweden, alongside his collection of 5 titles.
World’s Strongest Man
Before becoming the runner-up in the 2018 World’s Strongest Man competition, Mateusz Kieliszkowski earned one point to finish in second place behind Eddie Hall in 2017, two points to finish behind Brian Shaw in 2016, and half a point to finish behind Žydrūnas Savickas in 2014. He also made history as the youngest finalist in WSM, finishing in fourth place. In the ensuing years, he placed third in 2015, 2013, and 2012. Hafþór also earned the title of the third Icelander to win the contest, following in the footsteps of Magnús Ver Magnússon and Páll Jón Sigmarsson. He earned a wild card invitation to the 2011 World’s Strongest Man competition, marking his first participation in the event.
Hafþór stated that he would not return to compete in the World’s Strongest Man competitions in May 2020. Out of the 9 appearances he made in the finals, he managed to qualify for the finals with a 100% success rate, which is a feat achieved by only a few past winners such as Mariusz Pudzianowski and Hafþór. In addition to his impressive record, Hafþór has also won more races, loading medleys, and vehicle pulls than any other competitor in the history of the competition. Unfortunately, while suffering from an injury, he emerged in third place overall, behind Mateusz Kieliszkowski and Martins Licis, after tearing his plantar fascia during the group stages and attempting to defend his title in the final events.
Arnold Strongman Classic
Competitions Canada Arnold and Africa South Arnold, Australia Arnold, Brazil Arnold eventually paved the way for him to qualify for the Pro Arnold World Strongman Series, where he eventually won. Hafþór entered the limelight after winning 2nd place in his first ever international competition, the Amateur Arnold in 2011, at the Arnold Sports Festival.
In the 2018 Arnold Strongman Classic held in Columbus, Ohio, Hafþór emerged as the victor, making him the seventh man to claim the esteemed title. He defeated the defending champion, Brian Shaw, and secured the championship. During the fourth event, Hafþór shattered the Elephant bar Deadlift world record by lifting an astonishing 472 kg (1,041 lb), surpassing Jerry Pritchett’s previous record of 467.7 kg (1,031 lb) set the previous year. Hafþór’s journey to victory was marked by consistent improvement, starting with an 8th place finish in 2013, followed by 5th place in 2014, 7th place in 2015, 5th place in 2016, and 2nd place in 2017. Hafþór’s inaugural participation in the Arnold Strongman Classic Finals occurred in 2012, where he finished in 10th place, occupying the last position. This competition is widely acknowledged as the most challenging and weightiest strongman contest in the world.
Hafþór successfully defended his title at the 2019 Arnold Classic Strongman in a dominant fashion, improving his world Deadlift record by increasing it to 474 kg (1,045 lb) on his second attempt only.
After winning the Arnold Classic Strongman competition for the second time, Zydrunas Savickas became the only person in history to successfully defend his crown, with Hafþór coming in second place once again in 2020.
World’s Ultimate Strongman
Hafþór emerged victorious in the inaugural Strongman Ultimate World’s Classic held in Dubai, where 12 elite athletes competed in a highly competitive field. His triumph in this event, as well as his previous wins in the Arnold Strongman Classic, the World’s Strongest Man, and Europe’s Strongest Man, solidified his position as one of the most dominant figures in the history of strongman competitions. This remarkable year further established Hafþór’s reign in the calendar of strongman events.
All of the lifts were performed in their raw form (with only wraps for squats and straps for deadlifts). Two weeks later, an unofficial world record on the elephant bar was achieved by deadlifting 480 kilograms (1,058 lb). In February 2020, Hafþór deadlifted 455 kilograms (1,003 lb) for 2 reps, becoming the first person in history to deadlift 1,000 lb for multiple repetitions. During Thor’s Powerlifting Challenge, his squat increased to 460 kilograms (1,014 lb), and during training, it reached 445 kilograms (981 lb). From 2016, Hafþór significantly improved his static strength with the guidance of his strength coach, Sebastian Oreb, and this progress continued from 2018 onwards.
On May 2, 2020, Hafþór lifted the all-time record of 501 kilograms (1,105 lb) in the deadlift category of the Ultimate Strongman World’s Strongest Man competition. This remarkable feat was verified by Guinness World Records and televised live globally on ESPN. The event took place at Thor’s Power Gym in Kópavogur, Iceland, where Magnús Magnússon refereed the lift under the sanctioning of the Ultimate Strongman organization. Hafþór accomplished this incredible feat wearing a single-ply suit and using straps, following the standard rules of strongman competitions.
In August 2020, Hafþór declared his retirement from strongman tournaments.
Rogue Invitational and potential comeback
Competitive strongman and powerlifting have indicated a potential comeback for him, setting a new world record by using one arm to lift a weight of 56 lb (25.5 kg) over a distance of 20 ft (6.17 meters) in the Scottish Highland Games.
Competitive record
96 competitions in total resulted in 11 third place finishes and 12 second place finishes. There were 56 first place finishes in the Strongman circuit National, which accounts for 84% of all placements. In the circuit International, there were 46.1% first place finishes. The winning percentage in the circuit International is 75.4%, while in the circuit National it is 97%. The podium percentage in the circuit International is 92.3% and in the circuit National it is 100%. Additionally, there were 5 top finishes.
The combined total of 96, 1, 1, 2, 1, 91, 7, 5, 79, 11, 12, and 56 was 31, 31, 1, 30, 3, 1, and 26 on the national level. On the international level, the total was 65, 1, 1, 2, 7, 4, 49, 8, 11, and 30. The overall total resulted in 10th, 9th, 8th, 7th, 6th, 5, 4, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place on the podium.
Despite only having five weeks of casual preparation, Hafþór won first place in the overall competition, with the highest Wilks score, highest deadlift, highest squat, and highest bench press. Sarychev Kirill came in second place, with the highest bench press. Hafþór also achieved the fifth highest all-time total in superheavyweight raw powerlifting, totaling 2,425 lb (1,100 kg). During the 2018 Powerlifting Raw World ‘World the by sanctioned (challenge powerlifting Thor’s), Páll Logason came in second place overall, with a raw total of 2,050 lb (930 kg), despite the fact that Hafþór trained specifically for the competition.
Personal records
Legacy
Hafþór, regarded by many experts and analysts as the strongest man to ever walk the earth, has cemented his legacy in the sport of strongman. His numerous feats of strength and world records have earned him everything from international accolades to unbeaten status. The only instance where Hafþór failed to win a competition in the past three years was due to an injury. Throughout these years, Hafþór has shown no weaknesses and his dominance in strongman history is considered the highest peak performance. From 2018 onwards, Hafþór excelled in static events, showcasing his brute strength and continuously improving his athleticism and stamina. His primary strengths in the earlier years of his career were noted in moving events such as Natural Stones, Vehicle pulls, Power Keg-tossing, races, loading, and Medleys. Even during that time, he still managed to win major titles and competitions including Strongest Man, Arnold Strongman Classic, Europe’s Strongest Man, Strongman’s League, Champions League, Giants Live, and Strongman’s All-time Strongest. With over 30 international wins, Hafþór ranks as the 3rd most decorated strongman in history, including 10 titles in his strongman career.
Personal life
Family & Relationships
Theresa Líf lives in Denmark with her mother, and he often visits his daughter. Over time, the situation became settled, and Hafþór was prohibited from seeing his daughter for a period of 3 years. Hafþór has subsequently accused her of defamation, but the police investigation found no basis for legal action, and she pressed charges. Thelma Björk Steimann (the mother of his daughter), who accused him of domestic abuse, including instances of troubled relationships with his previous girlfriends during his late teens and early twenties, once feared for her life while on vacation.
Magni Stormur Hafþórsson and their welcomed September 26, 2020, and married in August 2018. The couple garnered a lot of attention because of their height difference. Hafþór toured the Warwick Strongman Festival and met Morgan Kelsey Henson, a Canadian fitness model, during a promotional event for Icelandic Mountain Vodka in Alberta. They have been dating since late 2017.
Nutrition
During his days as Hafþór Strongman, he constantly had to feed himself in order to maintain his strength and size. He used to consume up to 10,000 calories a day in 2020, 2019, and 2018, which increased to 8,000 calories a day in 2017 and 2012 to maintain his physique of 452-441 lbs (205-200 kg). His general rule was to have a macro balance of 2 parts protein, 2 parts fat, and 1 part carbs in his typical meals. A typical breakfast may consist of bacon and eggs on toast, while a typical lunch may consist of chicken or salmon with carrots, spinach, potatoes, or bison ground or steak rice.
Starting from mid-2020, he reduced his daily caloric intake to around 5,000 calories with the help of a much stricter diet, which aided in transforming his physique.
Endorsements
Hafþór is a brand ambassador for SodaStream and Thor’s Skyr. In 2016, Hafþór co-founded Icelandic Mountain Vodka, a spirits brand. The company’s main focus is a seven-time distilled vodka from Iceland. Additionally, the company also produces gin.
