The 2018 Arnold Strongman Classic took place March 2-3, 2018, in Columbus, Ohio, marking a breakthrough moment for Hafthor Bjornsson who finally captured his first Arnold title after years of steadily climbing the ranks (10th in 2012, finishing 2nd in 2017). The Mountain dominated the competition with a commanding performance across all five events, setting a new Elephant Bar Deadlift world record of 472 kg (1,041 lbs) in the process—this marked the only time in event history that three athletes pulled over 1,000 lbs. Defending champion Brian Shaw finished second despite his valiant effort to top Thor's deadlift record, while Russia's Mikhail Shivlyakov claimed third place. Bjornsson's victory launched what he had prophesied would be "his year" in strongman.