Stefán Sölvi Pétursson

Career Powerlifting Stefán was inspired towards strength and physical culture at the age of 4 when he saw Jón Páll Sigmarsson during an exhibition. As a teenager he started lifting weights and started powerlifting in 2004 at the age of 18 where he totaled in single ply equipment. In 2005 at the age of 19, he totaled .

Strongman In 2006 he switched to strongman and in the same year won Iceland's Strongest Viking competition at the age of 20. His first international strongman competition was the 2006 IFSA World Championships. In 2007 he tore his left bicep tendon and took the year off for recovery.

2008 to 2009 In 2008 Stefán won Iceland's Strongest Man IFSA version and came second to Kristinn Óskar Haraldsson in the Iceland's Strongest Man. While returning to international circuit, he secured fifth place in the 2008 Strongman Champions League Serbia, eighth place in 2008 Fortissimus and also participated in the prestigious Highland Games World Championships of 2008. In the same year, at 22 years and 178 days old, he also became the 7th youngest athlete in history to qualify for the World's Strongest Man competition.

In 2009 Stefán won both Iceland's Strongest Viking and Iceland's Strongest Man, becoming only the third Icelander to win both titles and the eighth Icelander to win the main national title, the Iceland's Strongest Man. At the International circuit, he won third place in 2009 Giants Live Poland, fourth place in 2009 Viking Power Challenge and qualified for the 2009 World's Strongest Man.

2010 to 2011 In 2010, Stefán started competing prolifically competing in competitions such as Strongman Super Series, Viking Power Challenge, Jón Páll Sigmarsson Classic and won 3rd place in 2010 Giants Live Turkey behind Žydrūnas Savickas and Brian Shaw. He won his 2nd consecutive Iceland's Strongest Man, emerged fourth in 2010 Giants Live South Africa and also participated in 2010 London Scottish Highland Games. In 2010 he achieved his highest placing in the World's Strongest Man securing fourth place in the finals behind Savickas, Shaw and Mikhail Koklyaev.

In 2011, he emerged fourth in the Giants Live London competition but in April, tore his pectoral muscle. He return soon after for Globe's Strongest Man competition and participated at the 2011 World's Strongest Man competition alongwith his good friend and future champion Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson where he emerged ninth in the finals. It was also the first and only time in history where there were two Icelanders in the finals.

2012 to 2020 In 2012 he won 2nd place behind Hafþór in 2012 King of the Castle competition in Finland and again won 2nd place in 2012 All-American Strongman Challenge. But later in 2012, tragedy struck as Stefán got injured during 2012 Nordic Strongman Championships and was also diagnosed with Supraventricular tachycardia which took him about 3 years to recover.

Upon returning to Strongman, Stefán sustained a major injury during the frame carry event at 2016 Europe's Strongest Man and had to withdraw from competing again until full recovery. Despite never getting fully recovered from the injury, he returned to competitive strongman in 10 months and continued with World's Strongest Man, Strongman Champions League and International Strongman Federation, but a second biceps tear, which occurred during 2020 Iceland’s Strongest Man competition, forced him to retire from competitive strongman.

In media In 2018, Stefán co-produced and starred in the documentary film 'Fullsterkur' (literally translates as 'full strength' in English) which explores the history and culture of heavy stone lifting in Iceland. Stefán's favourite strongman event is also Natural stone loading.

Personal records Strongman Deadlift – (2011 Giants Live London) Deadlift for reps (12" from the floor) – x 8 reps (2006 Iceland's Strongest Man (IFSA)) Axle press – (2010 Giants Live Turkey) Axle press for reps – x 3 near strict presses (during training) Log press – (2010 World's Strongest Man - Finals) Max Atlas stone – as a part of a 5 stone run (2016 Iceland's Strongest Man), and x 4 reps, over a 4 ft bar (2008 SCL Serbia) Atlas stones – 5 stones in 16.65 seconds (2010 King of the Castle) Atlas stones – 5 stones in 18.35 seconds (2010 Giants Live Turkey) Atlas stones – 5 stones in 20.21 seconds (2010 Giants Live South Africa) Atlas stone one motion – to a 5 ft 4 in platform (during training) Natural stone lift to platform – 6 rocks from in 32.24 seconds (2008 Iceland's Strongest Man (IFSA)) (World Record) Farmer's walk (no straps) – per each hand for (2016 Guinness World Records, China) (World Record) Frame carry (no straps) – for 30m course in 23.25 seconds (2011 World's Strongest Man) Medley – 130kg each hand farmer's walk & 2 x 120-150kg sacks in a 30m course - 40.01 seconds (2012 King of the Castle) (World Record) Keg toss (for max) – over (2006 Icelandic Highland Games) and over (2006 Iceland's Strongest Viking) Keg toss run – 8 kegs over 5.0 metres in 23.53 seconds (2009 World's Strongest Man - Group 2) Truck pull – for 25m in 50.07 seconds (2009 World's Strongest Man - Group 2)

Powerlifting During competition, performed at the age of 19: Squat (Single-ply) – (2005 KRAFT Íslandsmeistaramót í kraftlyftingum) Bench press (Single-ply) – (2005 KRAFT Íslandsmeistaramót í kraftlyftingum) Deadlift (Single-ply) – (2005 KRAFT Íslandsmeistaramót í réttstöðulyftu) Total (Single-ply) – (2005 KRAFT Íslandsmeistaramót í kraftlyftingum)

During training: Squat (Raw) – Bench press (Raw) –