A deserved honor for an all-time great.
Hafthor Björnsson is best known within the strength sports world for his stellar work with Atlas Stones, log lifts, and deadlifts. Such a steadfast commitment to the previous 2018 World’s Strongest Man champion’s strength work has earned him a deserved spot amongst a number of the best athletes in history.
On Jan. 31, 2023, it was revealed that Björnsson could be an element of the International Sports Hall of Fame (ISHOF) Class of 2023. Björnsson will enter the ISHOF alongside fellow luminaries like two-time judo Olympic gold medalist (2012, 2016) Kayla Harrison and four-time Super Bowl champion (1981, 1984, 1988-1989) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott. Dr. Robert Goldman initially created the ISHOF in 2012.
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Björnsson is the third skilled strongman to be recognized by the ISHOF.
Mark Henry, the inaugural 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC) winner and a former WWE World Heavyweight champion, was inducted into the ISHOF as an element of the firstclass in 2012. Three-time WSM champion (1980-1982) Bill Kazmaier would join Henry in 2017. Now Björnsson can count himself amongst their exclusive company.
Here is an outline of the total 2023 ISHOF class:
2023 International Sports Hall of Fame Class
- Hafthor Björnsson: 2018 WSM champion, ASC champion (2018-2020), Iceland’s Strongest Man (2011-2020)
- Ronnie Lott: Pro Football Hall of Famer, four-time Super Bowl champion (1981, 1984, 1988-1989)
- Kayla Harrison: Two-time Olympic judo gold medalist (2012, 2016)
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Six-time Olympic track and field medalist (spread between 1984 and 1996, including three gold medals)
- Richard Sorin: Founding father of Sorinex Exercise Equipment, grip strength icon
Along with Björnsson’s sterling competitive record — which also includes noteworthy achievements reminiscent of five Europe’s Strongest Man titles (2014-2015, 2017-2019) and three WSM runner-up finishes (2014, 2016-2017) — he possesses an assortment of strength records.
Probably the most recognizable is likely to be Björnsson’s 501-kilogram (1,104.5 kilos) World Record deadlift from the 2020 World’s Ultimate Strongman “Feats of Strength” series. One other is the Weight Over Bar World Record from the 2022 Strongman Rogue Invitational. The athlete threw a 25.4-kilogram (56-pound) weight over a 20-foot, three-inch high bar to increase his own previous record mark.
By way of recent athletic exploits outside of a strongman context, Björnsson defeated former strongman rival and 2017 WSM winner Eddie Hall in a March 2022 boxing match. In a December 2022 return to skilled powerlifting on the 2022 Thor’s Christmas Powerlifting Meet, the athlete attained a 970-kilogram (2,138.5-pound) total within the 140-kilogram-plus weight class.
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Björnsson’s ISHOF honor is likely to be much more noteworthy, considering he likely isn’t done as a strongman or powerlifting competitor. In October 2022, the Icelander alluded to a possible future where he’s moonlighting as each an elite strongman and powerlifter while continuing to pursue latest World Records. On this case, the 34-year-old’s Hall of Fame honor and resume could only shine brighter in the approaching years.
Featured image: @thorbjornsson on Instagram