Cuban wrestler becomes first person to win individual Olympic event 5 different years, retires on the spot
Mijain Lopez is going out on top – which is where he has been for 16 years.
The Cuban won his first Olympic gold medal in 2008, and then five-peated on Tuesday with his victory in the Greco-Roman wrestling 130-kilogram division.
With the win, he became the first person to ever win an individual event five times at the Olympics.
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Gold medalist Mijain Lopez celebrates with the Cuban flag and his fifth gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 6, 2024. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Lopez won gold in the 120-kilogram division in 2008, then did so again in 2012. Four years later in Rio, the weight class than bumped up 10 kilos, and he won again.
He won another gold in the class in Tokyo three years ago, and did the same in Paris on Tuesday.
After cementing his legacy, Lopez placed his shoes in the center of the mat, symbolizing his retirement.
"What’s great is the joy," Lopez said through a translator. "It was a result that I was craving, but also for the whole world and my country. So happy to reach the Olympic elite. The reward of a lifetime of working hard with the help of everyone and my family. It is my biggest win."
Mijain Lopez removes his shoes to signify his retirement after winning his fifth Olympic gold medal at Champs-de-Mars Arena on Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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Lopez made his Olympic debut in 2004 in Athens – he's also a five-time world champion in his class, with the first coming way back in 2005. Amazingly enough, his last world championship came in 2014, and he's rattled off three Olympic golds since then.
At the last Olympics, Lopez became the first male wrestler to win four Olympic gold medals when he dominated in Tokyo, blowing through the field unscored upon in four matches. He gave up two points in four matches this time.
Mijain Lopez celebrates with his coaches at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 6, 2024. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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"To get to this point, the first thing you need is to love your sport, love what you do and show to the world that you are capable of winning with so little," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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