Speed Reading — Weightlifting - Level 6 — 500 wpm 

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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.

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."

Comprehension questions
  1. How much did the man lift?
  2. What did the man have to do to his arms to get the record?
  3. Where did the man break the record?
  4. For how long did the man keep the weights above his head?
  5. What is the nationality of the first man to lift 500kg?
  6. When did the man win the World's Strongest Man competition?
  7. What is the man's nickname?
  8. How did the man feel about his achievement?
  9. What did the man say there was nothing better than?
  10. Why didn't the man talk a lot after breaking the record?

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