He passed into the pantheon of Olympic Games history and his first speech was “place in youth”. As of Tuesday night, his name Mihain Lopez figures in the list of great records, as he became the first athlete to conquer it fifth straight gold medal in the same event (Greco-Roman wrestling – 130 kg).
In his homeland, Cuba, the 41-year-old wrestler is considered one of the greatest figures in the field of sports and beyond. His route is impressive. Starting from Beijing (2008), continued unattached to London (2012), at Rio (2016), at Tokyo (2020), dressing in gold the finale of his career in Paris, surpassing other great names of the Olympic Games, such as that of Michael Phelps and other athletes who counted four consecutive golds in the same sport.
Read also: Olympics: Cuban wrestler Mihain Lopez becomes first athlete with 5 consecutive Olympic golds
The Cuban giant of height 1.98m. started his career in a country that was plagued by continuous embargoes, but had the know-how to bring out Olympians. Having already sealed a successful 20-year run in Greco-Roman wrestling, Lopez was destined to have his final match against a wrestler he considered a hero.
The 36-year-old Jasmine Acostahis opponent Mihain Lopez in the battle for gold, is yet another accolade in Cuba’s long run in the sport. For years, he trained and learned the secrets on the mat next to his idol, Lopez. In 2018 he left Cuba, acquired Chilean citizenship and since then he has been playing in the colors of that country.
Despite being estranged from his mentor, LopezThe Acosta he had expressed his pride in the fact that he fought against his hero, although he was defeated. Before the battle for the gold medal, he had described his upcoming meeting with his mentor as a challenge and inspiration.
Anyway, the fight with Lopez was a difficult process in itself, with the 41-year-old winning 6-0. This is an athlete who in the previous Olympic Games had not received a single point from his opponents, while in Paris he had received only two. The excellent defensive record “illuminated” his career but also the way he fought all these years.
After his victory, Mihain Lopez marked the finale of this course. He left his shoes in the middle of the mat, as is customary in wrestling for retired athletes, and later admitted: “Training and competing with younger players convinced me that it was time to stop. I had a 32-year career, including 20 as an Olympic athlete, and I had to overcome many obstacles.”
After winning his fifth gold medal in his fifth consecutive Olympic games, Cuba’s Mijaín López left his shoes on the mat to signify his retirement from the sport 👏
An Olympic legend leaving the sport on top 💪 pic.twitter.com/UR55ASvO5X
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 6, 2024
“You have to love your sport, be professional and show the world that you can achieve great things with little. Honesty and humility count a lot in life to get results like this.” he added after the lights started to go out on a great career full of difficulties but with a legendary finale.
Almost 8,000 kilometers west of Paris, in Havana, thousands of his compatriots watched the grand final celebrating his success “Giant of Herradura».
(With information from Marca)
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