VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Game Of Thrones 'Mountain' Thor wins Europe's Strongest Man title a record fourth time at Leeds First Direct Arena

And he did it in style winning two of five events at the Giants Live World's Strongest Man qualifier with a new Icelandic log lift record of 213kg, more than 33.5 stones.

Other events were the deadlift, farmer's walk, car walk and the sport's famed Atlas Stones finale.

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NEXT LIVE EVENT TICKETS & MERCHANDISE: The next Giants Live: World's Strongest Man Tour Finals is at Manchester Arena, September 15, 2018. Tickets £2 to £250 at www.manchester-arena.com. A new Giants Live clothing range has just been launched - visit store.giants-live.com.

In an exclusive chat, Thor, who has revealed he is filming his return as The Mountain in Game Of Thrones, vowed to win the World's Strongest Man event next month in Manila, in the Philippines.

He said: "I'm feeling great, in good shape and I'm going to win this year's World' Strongest Man - 100 per cent.

"I am very happy that I won tonight. This is my fourth Europe's Strongest Man title. I'm the only man who has done that so it means a lot to me to do it here in Leeds, with my family and friends supporting me. I want to thanks all the thousands of fans for coming, making the sport bigger, so we can perform better."

Fan favourite Eddie 'The Beast' Hall, from Stoke, the current World's Strongest Man, who has retired from world competition, was a guest competitor after the log lift world record and came heartbreakingly close.

He missed out on locking a 230kg log lift and a fairytale end of his career but set a new British record with the same 213kg log lifted by arch rival Thor - and popular African newcomer Iron Biby.

Eddie then hinted he may have one last go at the log lift world record at future event.

He said: "Tonight was disappointing. I got the British record - a personal best in competition. The most I've done in training with the log lift is 216kg. But I feel like I've let myself down and other people because I always deliver what I say. I was so close.

"I'm going to go home, evaluate everything, perhaps write up another programme and see if there's something we can fit into another show somewhere to have another go at that 230kg record.

"I will compete again at Britain's Strongest Man 2019. But I'm having fun, doing appearances, travelling the world, getting into the TV side of things and seeing a lot more of my wife and kids and I'm enjoying the sport."

He believes any of four men could win the world title this year but believes it will come down to two, American Brian Shaw and his arch rival Thor.

As to the spat with Thor after Eddie won the World's Strongest Man title with just one point last year he revealed" "We've had some disagreements at World's Strongest Man.

"He shook my hand and said well done, which I can accept. But let's say forgive and never forgotten."

Strongman fans cheered Eddie when a short video film was shown, highlighting how he made tragic seven-year-old Lewis Crossley's dream come true by visiting him in Birmingham Children's Hospital last summer, as he battled T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Lewis, from Hough, near Crewe, has since died but a Team Lewis Trust was launched in his name to find new treatments and raise cure rates - for more information and to donate visit teamlewistrust.org.uk.

Workers at Leeds based First Direct Bank, sponsors of Europe's Strongest Man, have raised £3,700 and Eddie presented their cheque to the youngster's mum Susanne, dad Adam and five-year-old sister Emily who were guests at the event.

Susanne told strongman fans: "We saw a side of Eddie that not many people my have seen. He's such a gentleman, a family man with children at the heart of everything he does."

Special guest Geoff Capes, 68, a two time 1980s World's Strongest Man and three times Europe's Strongest Man, a former Olympic shot put star, was inducted into the WSM Hall Of Fame by three times World's Strongest Man Bill Kazmaier.

Geoff said:" I would have loved to have competed with this lot today. Fans ask how we would have compared. Nut we would have trained the same as they do today. We've had our time, this i theirs. I'm thrilled to be given this honour."

Europe's strongest man Thor beat Konstantine Janashia into second place, with Matuesz Kieliszkowski claiming third spot, while former four times World's Strongest Man Žydrūnas 'BigZ' Savickas had to settle for fourth.

The UK's Graham Hicks, aged 32, from Morecambe, was fifth following his recent third place at Britain's Strongest Man and had already qualified for this year's World's Strongest Man event which taking place later this month nd the finals in May, in Manila - to be screened as a now traditional Christmas TV highlight on Channel 5.

Graham, a father of two who by day works as an engineer at British Aerospace, said: "My own goal is to make the final. There are five heats and the top two guys in each make the final. For me to be in the top 10 in the world would be a great achievement.

"Maybe I can take a step forward from there. It's baby steps for me. So I want to get to the final and come up with a new goal.

"It's time that I started believing I am one of the names. Sometimes I pinch myself when I'm in the line up and I see my name against these other names, because I've been a fan for so long. I've started to realise I am one of these guys now and I can beat them.

He reckons it's Thor's time to life the World Strongest Man title this year.

Graham added: "You can never count out USA's Brian Shaw. Brian and Thor are genetically gifted and determined professionals. When they wake up in the morning, to the point they go to bed, it's all about strongman. Eat, sleep, repeat. Those are the two guys at the pinnacle of our sport.

"Thor appears to have take a bit of a leap forward. He is tough to beat and is due a World's Strongest Man win. I do think he will win this yer. He' the strongest man never to have won it."