Game of Thrones star smashes weightlifting record
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The Game of Thrones actor Hafthor Bjornsson has set a world weightlifting record by lifting 501kg. Mr Bjornsson, 31, set the record for deadlifting. This is pulling weights from the floor to the chest, and then raising the weights above the head with the arms fully extended. The actor broke the record at his personal gym in his native Iceland. He lifted the barbell for two seconds and then dropped the weights. He roared in delight at his achievement. His feat of power and strength was streamed by the sports broadcaster ESPN and posted on Bjornsson's YouTube channel. The record was previously held by a British man called Eddie Hall. In 2016, Mr Hall became the first man ever to lift 500kg.
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Besides being an actor, Hafthor Bjornsson is a powerlifter. In 2018, he won the World's Strongest Man competition. He shot to fame when he portrayed Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane in the hit series Game of Thrones. He is 2.05m tall and weighs 195kg, so people have dubbed him a "man mountain". Bjornsson explained how happy he was after breaking the deadlift record. He said: "I'm extremely proud, you know. I'm extremely happy....There's nothing better than proving people wrong. So many people didn't believe in me. So many people said, '501kg is never going to go up.'" He added: "I'm just absolutely speechless....I'm excited, super excited. This is huge for me."
Sources:
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52512211
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8280951/He-really-Mountain-Game-Thrones-star-Haf-r-Bj-rnsson-breaks-world-deadlifting-record.html
- https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/11534178/hafthor-julius-bjornsson-world-deadlift-record/
