A Cuban wrestler made Olympic history on Tuesday, possibly cementing his status as one of the greatest Olympic athletes ever.
Mijaín López became the first Summer Olympian in any sport to win five consecutive gold medals in the same event. He achieved this incredible feat of longevity and dominance by defeating Chile’s Yasmani Acosta 6-0 in the 130-kilogram final of Greco-Roman wrestling at Champ-de-Mars Arena.
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After his victory, López embraced his coaches in a pair of bear hugs before moving to the center of the mat. In the international symbol of a wrestler’s retirement, he removed his shoes, left them on the mat, and walked away.
“We need to make some space for those who are coming (into the sport),” López had said a day earlier, foreshadowing the move. “Wrestling for me has been the love of my life, for all of my life.”
Nicknamed “El Terrible” for his imposing figure and sheer dominance, López secured his first Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Games in Beijing at the age of 25. He won his fifth gold medal just a few weeks before his 42nd birthday.
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Amazingly, López did not compete at all between his previous gold medal win at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and this latest victory.
“He has been here for many years, so it is very important to conserve his body,” his coach Raul Trujillo told The Guardian.
As López circled the mat after his victory, he held one hand above his head in a triumphant fist while using the other to cradle Trujillo, who was in tears.
“It’s been a sacrifice for a career lasting so many years,” he told reporters Monday. “And it’s beautiful for the next generations so that they have something to aspire to.”
While many athletes have won five gold medals at the Summer Olympics, they have all had to compete in multiple events to achieve this. None have dominated a single event like López.
However, his record might not last long. American swimmer Katie Ledecky could match López’s accomplishment by winning gold in the 800-meter freestyle at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
