Game of Thrones' Gregor Clegane isn't called "The Mountain" for nothing. His intimidating physique and massive strength are almost as legendary as his capacity for evil, and there's no disputing he is one of the strongest men in Westeros. The athletic actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson certainly embodies the role of "The Mountain" on the HBO series, and after years of trying to prove he is the World's Strongest Man in real life, he officially won the competition this year. Here's his celebration stance:
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson's win was a long time coming, as the Game of Thrones actor finally won the 2018 World's Strongest Man competition after two consecutive years of finishing as a runner-up. Those last two years only tell part of the story, too, since Björnsson has been straining and sweating through the competition every year since 2011. He earned his place in the top 3 at the end of each competition since 2012, but 2018 thankfully proved to be different for Björnsson, as his domination in this year's competition led to a total score of 51.5 points, which was a full six and a half points over second place competitor Mateusz Kieliszkowski, and seven and a half points over four-time Strongman champion Brian Shaw.
This win is just one more success in what has been a big year for Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. Game of Thrones' Season 8 production hasn't appeared to affect Björnsson's training at all, as he's also won the Arnold Strongman Classic and Europe's Strongest Man competitions earlier this year. Björnsson has to be proud of all of those victories, since he is the first person to hold all three titles at the same time. But finally being able to capture the long-coveted title of World's Strongest Man, as well as being the first Icelander to win the title since 1996, was probably the most special aspect for the man behind The Mountain.
Will all of Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson's lifting serve him well in Season 8 of Game of Thrones? Probably not, but It's hard to say exactly how well The Mountain will fare when the White Walker invasion comes to Westeros, although one could speculate his being able to compete in so many events in 2018 means he won't get a lot of screentime in the show's final season. That much is partly expected, although many may have hoped The Mountain would come face to face with his brother Sandor Clegane for a battle before the show's final bow. Björnsson had no spoilers for GoT in the message he posted to fans on Instagram, where he thanked each and every person who supported him on his journey to becoming the World's Strongest Man. Probably quite a few Mountain fans in that bunch.
Game of Thrones is expected to return to HBO for Season 8 in 2019, while it can be assumed that Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson will be defending his title next year. Those waiting for the premiere can in the meantime check out CinemaBlend's summer premiere guide, which is chocked full of dates for new and returning shows that will help make the wait for new GoT episodes more bearable.
