Mijain Lopez Nunez of Cuba takes off his shoes to signal that he is retiring from the sport after defeating Yasmani Acosta Fernandez of Chile in the final match of men’s Greco-Roman 130 kg wrestling at the Champ-de-Mars Arena during the Paris Olympics 2024. Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
PARIS — Mijain Lopez has reached the top.
The 41-year-old Cuban wrestler won his fifth consecutive gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling by defeating Chile’s Yasmani Acosta Fernandez 6-0 in the 130-kg final at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.
He is the first athlete to win gold medals in the same event at five consecutive Olympic Games, and the first wrestler to win five gold medals.
“The biggest thing is that I’m very happy,” Lopez said through a translator. “It was the result I wanted, but also the whole world and my country. It was very happy to come out on top at the Olympics. It was a reward for a lifetime of hard work with everyone’s help and my family. This is my biggest victory.”
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After the match, Lopez placed his shoes in the middle of the mat, symbolizing his retirement. He first appeared at the Summer Olympics in 2004, when he finished fifth. Now, he’s ready to pass the torch on.
“I have a lot of inspiration for all the young people who come to me for guidance,” he said. “I have a lot of inspiration to give to the world. I want to educate the younger generation.”
Shortly after winning this gold medal, López embraced Cuba’s Acosta Fernández, who had moved to Chile to better compete in bigger competitions.
Mijain Lopez Nunez of Cuba celebrates after defeating Yasmani Acosta Fernandez of Chile in the final match of men’s Greco-Roman 130kg wrestling at the Champ-de-Mars Arena during the Paris Olympics 2024, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Acosta Fernandez is Chile’s first wrestling medalist. He said he doesn’t mind being part of history.
He said, “I am experiencing a lot of emotions. I wanted to win the gold medal, but at the same time, I didn’t want it that much because this is Mizan, who is a legend in wrestling around the world.”
Lopez continued to celebrate, with enthusiastic fans clapping in unison while Eurythmics’ song “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” played on the sound system. Lopez fell to her feet, then stood briefly and then kicked off her shoes while the crowd cheered.
After taking off his shoes, he raised both his hands and thanked the fans again.
Lopez became the first male wrestler to win four Olympic gold medals last Olympics when he dominated in Tokyo, leaving the field scoreless in four bouts. This time around, he lost two points in four matches.
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He said, “To reach this level, first of all you have to love your sport, love what you do and show the world that you can win even with very little effort.”
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