It's official: Magnus Samuelsson has set a new world record on the IronMind® Rolling Thunder® with his winning lifting of 262 pounds this weekend at the IFSA/GNC Pro Performance Strongman Challenge.

Jan Bartl lifted 265.4 pounds in the 1999 Rolling Thunder World Championships held in conjunction with the 1999 Beauty & the Beast strongman competition, but the rules used then allowed a competitor to use a thumbless (false) grip. Because it was later felt that this was not in the spirit of the lift, since it allowed strong-wristed competitors to remove the grip element of the event by cocking their wrists, the following year the rule was changed, and thumbless grips were no longer allowed. Bartl also won the 2000 Rolling Thunder World Championships, at the 2000 Beauty & the Beast strongman competition, with a lift of 258.5 pounds.

Samuelsson, who is best known as a World's Strongest Man winner, was a top arm wrestler before he entered strongman competition and even though his grip training is an adjunct to his strongman training, rather than a specialty, he well known as having some of the strongest hands in the world.

This competition was held at Palms Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, and Rolling Rock beer presented cash prizes to the top three competitors: 1) Magnus Samuelsson, 262 pounds 2) Odd Haugen, 257 pounds and 3) Phil Pfister, 247 pounds. In addition, for breaking the world record, Magnus Samuelsson won a $250 IronMind gift certificate.