Thor Retains Open Title as Flores Pulls 511kg!

A packed Birmingham Utilita Arena played host to a truly extraordinary night of Strongman action as Hafþór Björnsson secured his 10th Giants Live victory and Mexico’s Raul Flores eclipsed the Icelander’s world record with an astonishing 511kg (1,127lb) pull to claim his first World Deadlift Championship title.

Ghana’s Evans Nana produced the contest of his life to take second overall and take his first Giants Live podium, with 20-year-old Matyáš Funiok also claiming a podium place in a contest that he only found out he would be competing in just a few days earlier! With new blood continuing to come to the fore in the Strongman community, Britain’s Adam Bishop, having matched his 470kg deadlift PB, announced his retirement from international competition.

Björnsson, aka The Mountain, came into the contest as the reigning Strongman Open champion and world record holder in the deadlift, but after some injury issues in his build-up decided to focus on the overall show result and not commit to bettering his 510kg record. Even so, he locked out 480kg in emphatic style, at which point he withdrew, allowing Flores to move up to the new world record figure, having comfortably lifted 470kg.

The comparatively diminutive figure of Flores, who had achieved a 504kg training lift in the weeks preceding the show, kept the crowd waiting as he prepared for his record attempt and did not disappoint. The colossal weight broke from the floor with sufficient speed to clear his knees, and though it stalled as it passed his enormous thighs, he was able to inch it to full lock out and gain the down signal from referee and four-time World’s Strongest Man, Magnús Ver Magnússon.

The crowd erupted as Flores celebrated his lift, and in the aftermath, as he spoke with show host Neil Pickup, Björnsson came from backstage to pay tribute to the 26-year-old’s unprecedented achievement, commenting that for such a young lifter, it was a feat that defied belief. Flores himself proudly displayed the tattoo of his late dog on his shoulder, telling the story of how his beloved pet’s death encouraged him to first attend the gym, where he would discover his freakish strength!

- Read more: giants-live.com