His start
Hafþór met Icelandic strongman Magnús Ver Magnússon at his gym "Jakaból" in 2008, and Magnús said that Hafþór seemed a good prospect as a strongman. Hafþór won several strongman contests in Iceland in 2010 including Strongest Man in Iceland, Iceland's Strongest Viking, Westfjords Viking, and five of six events at the OK Badur Strongman Championships.
Hafþór finished in second place at the inaugural Jón Páll Sigmarsson Classic in November 2010, behind Brian Shaw. He won the 2011 Strongest Man in Iceland contest on June 4, 2011, and the 2011 Iceland's Strongest Man contest on June 18, 2011. He placed fourth in the Giants Live Poland 2011 event on August 6, 2011. In January 2015, at the World's Strongest Viking competition held in Norway, Hafþór carried a 10-metre-long (33 ft), 650-kilogram (1,430 lb) log for five steps, thus breaking a 1,000-year-old record set by Orm Storolfsson.
World's Strongest Man
Hafþór took part in World's Strongest Man after earning a wild card invitation to the 2011 contest. He came in sixth overall. Taking part again in ensuing years, he placed third in 2012, 2013 and 2015. He finished runner-up in 2014 event[23] to Žydrūnas Savickas and again in the 2016 event to Brian Shaw.] In 2017, Hafþór once again was runner up, this time to Eddie Hall. Hafþór won the 2018 World's Strongest Man, thus becoming the first Icelander to win the title since Magnús Ver Magnússon in 1996. Arnold Strongman Classic On March 3, 2018, Hafþór broke the Elephant Bar deadlift world record with his successful 472 kg (1,041 lb) third attempt, as well as being champion of the Arnold Strongman Classic 2018. The previous Elephant Bar deadlift world record of 468 kg (1,032 lb) was set by Jerry Pritchett at the Arnold Strongman Classic 2017. Hafþór defended his title at the Arnold Strongman Classic 2019; he finished on 45 points, 4.5 points ahead of runner-up Martins Licis. He also improved on his elephant bar world record, increasing it to 474 kg (1,045 lb) with his second attempt. He tried for 501 kg (1,105 lb) in his third attempt but was unsuccessful.
