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'{{Infobox person | name = Hjalti Árnason | residence = | other_names = Ursus<br>The Great Ursus | image = | birth_name = Hjalti Árnason | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|2|18|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Reykjavík]], [[Iceland]] | nationality = {{flagicon|ISL}} [[Iceland|Icelandic] | occupation = [[Strongman (strength athlete)|Strongman]], [[Powerlifting]] | years active = 1983-1996 | height = {{height|cm=185}}<ref name="Bill"/> | weight = {{convert|140|kg|lb}}<ref name="Bill"/> | title = | salary = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | boards = | religion = | spouse = | partner = | children = 2 | relations = | website = | footnotes = | employer = }} {{CompetitionRecordTableTop|}} {{CompetitionRecordSport | [[Strongman (strength athlete)|Strongman]]}} {{CompetitionRecordCountry | {{ISL}} }} {{CompetitionRecordCompetition|[[World's Strongest Man]] }} {{CompetitionRecordQualifier | [[1996 World's Strongest Man]] | }} {{CompetitionRecordCompetition|[[World Muscle Power Championships]] }} {{CompetitionRecordThird | [[World Muscle Power Championships|1991 World Muscle Power Championships]]| }} {{CompetitionRecordCompetition|[[World Strongman Challenge]] }} {{CompetitionRecordThird | [[World Strongman Challenge|1991 World Strongman Challenge]]| }} {{CompetitionRecordCompetition|[[Pure Strength]] }} {{CompetitionRecordFirst | [[Pure Strength|1989 w/Magnús Ver Magnússon]] | }} {{CompetitionRecordSecond | [[Pure Strength|1990 w/Magnús Ver Magnússon]] | }} {{CompetitionRecordCompetition|[[Le Defi Mark Ten International]] }} {{CompetitionRecordSixth | [[Le Defi Mark Ten International|1987 Le Defi Mark Ten International]]| }} {{CompetitionRecordFirst | [[Le Defi Mark Ten International|1988 Le Defi Mark Ten International]]| }} {{CompetitionRecordSecond | [[Le Defi Mark Ten International|1994 Le Defi Mark Ten International]]| }} {{CompetitionRecordCompetition|[[Iceland's Strongest Man]] }} {{CompetitionRecordSecond | [[Iceland's Strongest Man|1985 Iceland's Strongest Man]]| }} {{CompetitionRecordSecond | [[Iceland's Strongest Man|1987 Iceland's Strongest Man]]| }} {{CompetitionRecordSecond | [[Iceland's Strongest Man|1988 Iceland's Strongest Man]]| }} {{CompetitionRecordSecond | [[Iceland's Strongest Man|1991 Iceland's Strongest Man]]| }} {{CompetitionRecordSport | [[Powerlifting]] }} {{CompetitionRecordCountry | {{ISL}} }} {{CompetitionRecordCompetition| [[International Powerlifting Federation|IPF World Powerlifting Championships]]}} {{CompetitionRecordDisqualified | [[International Powerlifting Federation|1991 IPF World Championships]] |+125kg }} {{CompetitionRecordCompetition|[[Powerlifting|EPF European Powerlifting Championships]] }}<ref name="en.allpowerlifting.com">http://en.allpowerlifting.com/lifters/ISL/arnasson-hjalti-8130/</ref> {{CompetitionRecordThird | [[Powerlifting|1985 EPF European Championships]] |+125kg }} {{CompetitionRecordThird | [[Powerlifting|1990 EPF European Championships]] |+125kg }} {{CompetitionRecordThird | [[Powerlifting|1991 EPF European Championships]] |+125kg }} {{CompetitionRecordCompetition|[[Powerlifting|NPF Nordic Powerlifting Championships]] }}<ref name="en.allpowerlifting.com"/> {{CompetitionRecordThird | [[Powerlifting|1983 NPF Nordic Championships]] |125kg }} {{CompetitionRecordCompetition|[[International Powerlifting Federation|IPF Junior World Championships]]}}<ref name="en.allpowerlifting.com"/> {{CompetitionRecordFourth | [[International Powerlifting Federation|1985 IPF Junior World Championships]] |+125kg }} {{CompetitionRecordBottom}} '''Hjalti Árnason''' (born 18 February 1963),<ref name="Bill">http://strongestman.billhenderson.org/bios/hjalti.html</ref> nicknamed '''Hjalti Úrsus''', is an [[Iceland]]ic former [[strongman (strength athlete)|strongman]] competitor and world champion [[powerlifter]]. Hjalti was known by the nickname "The Great Ursus". He first began in strength sports by competing as a junior powerlifter representing Iceland in 1983. Hjalti coached the great [[Jón Páll Sigmarsson]] and competed alongside [[Magnús Ver Magnússon]] in a team strength competition called [[Pure Strength]] in 1989 & 1990.<ref name="Bill"/> ==Biography== Hjalti Árnason was born in [[Reykjavík]] in 1963<ref name="Samson">David Webster, ''Sons of Samson - Volume 2'', pages 71-2, (Ironmind Enterprises Inc: Nevada City), ISBN 0-926888-06-4</ref> He grew up in the same neighbourhood as [[Jón Páll Sigmarsson]] and they were at the same school, although Jón Páll was three years older. His sports career began with training in [[karate]] and he participated in many others such as [[soccer]], [[team handball|handball]], and [[track and field]]. He had a talent for Powerlifting and shot to fame when he began competing internationally from 1983. In that year he came first in the Junior European Championships and made the senior national team. Quickly though he began to compete in [[strength athletics|strongman]] events to make a living as a semi-professional. He found at an early stage that powerlifting had little money or publicity associated with it and also his fellow Icelander and school friend, Jón Páll Sigmarsson, was beginning to make waves in the higher profile world of the [[World's Strongest Man]] and its associated circuit. His forays into strength athletics consisted of a mixture of [[Highland Games]] and strongman events. It was noted that he relied on his "tremendous strength" but sacrificed technique and suffered from a lack of proper, regular coaching.<ref name="Samson"/> In 1985, Hjalti competed in the very first [[Iceland's Strongest Man]] contest.<ref>[http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Articles/2009/Jun/Stefan_Solvi_Petursson_Wins_Icelandxs_Strongest_Man.html Wednesday, June 17, 2009, ''Stefán Sölvi Pétursson Wins Iceland's Strongest Man'' by Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D., IronMind]</ref> Hjalti Árnason was second to Jón Páll that year whilst [[Magnus Ver Magnusson|Magnús Ver Magnússon]] came third. Hjalti would repeat podium finishes in this contest on more than one occasion whilst in the company of two men who between them won the [[World's Strongest Man]] title eight times. In one such contest his "animalistic approach" was demonstrated when he broke his opponents arm in an arm wrestling bout.<ref name="Samson"/> Upon being asked to do "something spectacular for the TV cameras" by a sponsor he was reported to have picked the sponsor up by an arm and a leg and hurled him some distance to the astonishment of bystanders.<ref name="Samson"/> On the world stage he was a top performer in Highland Games. His wrestling match with [[Bill Kazmaier]] at Earlshall has been described as one of the best ever.<ref name="Samson"/> He was highly rated at the [[World Muscle Power Championships]] and in breaking the world record in the platform lift became the first European to win the prestigious [[Le Defi Mark Ten International]] in Canada. However, his only appearance as a contestant at the [[World's Strongest Man]] was in 1996 at the end of his career and he failed to qualify for the finals. Prior to that he had been to many events as a tester, alongside his great friend [[Mark Higgins (athlete)|Mark Higgins]]. Prior to 1994 the WSM had a limited field with no heats. As such countries were rarely granted multiple competitor places. For Hjalti, when in the prime of his strength sporting career this left him in the shadow of Jón Páll, and later the rise of [[Magnus Ver Magnusson|Magnús Ver Magnússon]]. This has been described by [[David Webster (World's Strongest Man organizer)|David Webster]] as a pity because "he was undoubtedly one of the world's strongest men."<ref name="Samson"/> Hjalti continued to compete as a [[powerlifter]] and won the +125 kg super heavyweight class of the [[International Powerlifting Federation|IPF World Powerlifting Championships]] in 1991 in [[Örebro]], Sweden. Hjalti was later disqualified and the title passed to [[Hans Zerhoch]].Hjalti was the first Icelander to break the 1000&nbsp;kg barrier in the total ([[squat (exercise)|squat]], [[bench press]] & [[deadlift]]).<ref name="Interview">http://strongestman.billhenderson.org/int/int4.html</ref> ==Personal life and career after sport== From his marriage to Margét, Hjalti has two sons, Greipur (born 1989) and Árni (born 1992). After divorcing, he moved in with his girlfriend, Halla Heimisdóttir. His careers were multiple and varied. He was a bouncer, caring supervisor in a psychiatric hospital, security agent and debt collector. He also became a system administrator for Post and Telecom in Iceland. He also remained close to sport and became a promoter of strength athletics in Iceland. His latest venture was the promotion of [[Iceland's Strongest Man]]. His brother is a noted musician in Iceland.<ref name="Samson"/> Hjalti created the [[Jón Páll Sigmarsson Classic]], which held its inaugural event in November 2010.<ref>http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Articles/2010/Nov/Brian_Shaw_Wins_the_Inaugural_Jon_Pall_Sigmarsson_Classic_Strongman_Contest.html</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Arnason, Hjalti}} [[Category:Icelandic strength athletes]] [[Category:Icelandic powerlifters]] [[Category:1963 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Reykjavík]]'