Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, known as The Mountain and Thor, experienced a devastating injury during a bench press that left him in agony.
The former World’s Strongest Man was participating in a powerlifting competition when he attempted to lift an impressive 252.5kg of weight on his third attempt.
However, as the bar came down onto his chest, a gut-wrenching moment occurred – his left pec tore, and his face turned red with pain. With assistance, he managed to lift the bar back up, but it was clear that something had gone terribly wrong.
Strength coach Sebastian Oreb shared a video of Björnsson’s successful second attempt at bench press during the competition but revealed in the caption that the injury had forced Thor to end his participation.
He decided to wait for Björnsson to announce the injury himself before sharing it on social media. The extent of the injury and its impact on his recovery and training remains to be seen, but Björnsson stayed to support the other competitors at the event for the rest of the day.
Fans of Björnsson expressed their well wishes and support for his recovery in the comments section of the post. Many were confident that he would bounce back, with one person stating, “He’ll be back, no doubt about that.”
Another commented on the positive sign of him staying to support the other competitors despite the injury, saying, “Horrible sound but the fact that he stuck around sounds promising. I hope it’s a good fix and he recovers well.”
Another fan praised Björnsson’s performance, saying, “You did so great @thorbjornsson it’s such a shame this happened to you, but you are the strongest man in the world, and we know you can conquer it all.”
As of now, Björnsson has not shared the full details of his injury or how it might affect his preparations for Strongman 2024, as he had previously announced his comeback from retirement earlier this year after consulting with his wife and coaches.
Before the annual event, Björnsson had his sights set on breaking the all-time powerlifting record set by Dan Bell at 2,606.9lbs (1,182kg), which has remained unbroken since the 2021 WRPF Hybrid Showdown III.
Despite the setback, fans remain hopeful that Björnsson will recover and continue pursuing his goals with the same determination and strength that has earned him his iconic title of The Mountain.
We wish him a fast recovery.
