Mijaín López Earns Historic Fifth Career Wrestling Gold at 2024 Paris Games

2024 Paris GamesMijaín López’s gold rush continues at the 2024 Paris Games

The 41-year-old Cuban wrestler used to be part of a very exclusive club of athletes with four individual gold medals in the same event at an Olympic Games. Only seven athletes have achieved the feat, including swimming legend Michael Phelps, former track hero Carl Lewis and now Katie Ledecky.

Mijaín LópezBut, on Tuesday at the 2024 Summer Olympics, López launched into a new group of his own.

He achieved a record-breaking fifth straight individual title — a five-peat — as he won gold in the men’s Greco-Roman wrestling 130-kilogram category.

Two other athletes — U.S. basketball stars Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi — have achieved the feat in team events. On an individual basis, though, López’s achievement is unparalleled.

“What’s great is the joy,” Lopez said through an interpreter. “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.”

Another remarkable part of López’s gold medal win on Tuesday: He hasn’t competed internationally since the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Whereas other wrestlers compete year-round, López decided he was too old to put his body through the rigors of repeated competition, instead preferring to ready himself at lengthy training camps.

Mijaín LópezHis advantage comes from his size. López’s frame is just that much bigger than any of his opponents. Out of competition, he typically weighs around 150kg (330 pounds), meaning he is able to put a lot more back on after he makes weight. That advantage and his skill have resulted in an Olympic dominance unlike any other.

López made his Olympic debut aged 21 at the 2004 Athens Games, where he exited in the quarterfinals. His golden run started at the 2008 Beijing Games.

In Tokyo, López became the first male wrestler to win four gold medals, blowing through the field without letting up a point in four matches.

The Cuban wrestler similarly dominated in Paris, as if his 41-year-old body were defying time itself. He made light work of his first-round match, achieving a 7-0 victory over South Korea’s Lee Seungchan. Hours after that, he booked his place in the final with a 3-1 win over Iran’s Amin Mirzazadeh in the quarterfinals and a 4-1 victory over Sabah Shariati of Azerbaijan in the semifinals.

Tuesday’s final was a mismatch, too. López steamrolled his opponent, Chile’s Yasmani Acosta Fernandez, in a 6-0 victory.

Shortly after winning this gold medal, López embraced Fernandez, a Cuban who moved to Chile to give himself a better chance of competing in the big events. Fernandez is the first wrestling medalist for Chile.

As López continued to celebrate, he dropped to all fours and began to unlace his shoes on the mat. López had said he would retire Monday, adding that there needed to be room for new faces in the sport.

“I have a lot of inspiration for all the young people that come to me for guidance,” he said. “I have a lot of inspiration to give to the world. I would like to educate the younger generations.”

After he removed his shoes, he held both arms in the air and acknowledged the fans again.

“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,” López said.

Mijaín López Claims Fourth Consecutive Wrestling Olympic Gold Medal at Tokyo Games

Mijaín López has cemented his status as a wrestling legend…

The 38-year-old Cuban Greco-Roman wrestler claimed his fourth consecutive Olympic gold after defeating Georgia’s Iacob Kadzhaia 5-0 in the 130kg Greco-Roman wrestling final.

Mijain Lopez

In the process, Lopez surpassed Russia’s Alexander Karelin, who won three consecutive Olympic gold medals between 1988 and 1996.

Lopez won the Olympic titles at the 2008 Beijing Games, the 2012 London Games and 2016 Rio Games.

Mijain Lopez

Since Beijing, Lopez has been unbeaten at the Olympics, and in Tokyo, he didn’t give up a single point in the entire tournament.

The Cuban accumulates 20 Olympic fights, of which he has won 19. From London 2012 to August 2, 2021 in Tokyo, Mijaín scored 55 points and allowed none in 12 appearances. The last man who has managed to score him was precisely the Russian Baroev in Beijing 2008.

“I feel happy and proud to be the best in the world and make history,” he said Monday night at a press conference.

“I’ve had a long career, working hard to make these successes and break this record. To be able to break this record today, for me, is a great achievement, because I’ve been up against the best and I can be proud.”

Only Japan’s Kaori Icho, in the freestyle, has managed to win four Olympic gold medals in as many Games, in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.

López Defeats Rival Riza Kayaalp to Claim Third Straight Greco-Roman Gold Medal at the 2016 Rio Games

2016 Rio Games

It’s a three-peat for Mijaín López

The 33-year-old Cuban wrestler, widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, won his third consecutive Olympic title in Greco-Roman’s heaviest weight class after defeating longtime rival Riza Kayaalp of Turkey in the 130kg Gold Medal match at the 2012 Rio Games.

Mijaín López

It marked the third straight year that Lopez and Kayaalp met in the final round with a major global title on the line. They also faced each other in the Gold Medal matches at the world championships the last two years — Lopez won in 2014, Kayaalp won in 2015.

Their rivalry also includes a bout in the semifinals of the 2012 London Games, which was won by Lopez. He would go on to win the gold medal after defeating Estonia’s Heiki Nabi.

Mijaín López

Lopez got the scoring started early this time around, hitting a big four-point throw about 15 seconds into the match. The bout got chippy late, with Kayaalp connecting with Lopez’s head after the whistle blew. Kayaalp’s move briefly awarded two penalty points to Lopez, which would have given him an 8-0 victory by technical superiority, but the points were taken off the board. The match resumed with less than a minute to go, and Lopez ultimately emerged with a 6-0 win.

Lopez also won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games.

López Claims Cuba’s Second Wrestling Medal at London Games

London Olympics 2012

Liván López Azcuy has claimed Olympic bronze at the 2012 Olympic Games…

Livan Lopez Azcuy

The 30-year-old Cuban grappler beat Jabrayil Hasanov of Azerbaijan in his bronze medal match on Sunday in the men’s freestyle wrestling 66kg at the London Games.

In winning the bronze medal at this year’s match, López matches his medal-earning performance at the 2011 world championships in Istanbul. He also claimed the gold in the category at the 2011 Pan American Games.

Livan Lopez Azcuy

López gives Cuba its second wrestling medal at the London Games, after Mijaín López’s won a Greco-Roman wrestling gold earlier in the Games.

López Defends His Greco-Roman Wrestling Title at the London Games

London Olympics 2012

It’s a tale of redemption for Mijaín López at the 2012 Olympic Games…

The 29-year-old Cuban wrestler took down Heiki Nabi of Estonia 2-0, 1-0 on Monday to claim his second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the men’s Greco-Roman wrestling 120 kg category at the London Games.

Mijaín López

But it was López’s semifinal against Riza Kayaalp of Turkey that proved to be the most highly anticipated match of the day.

The wrestling world was left in shock and disbelief when Kayaalp beat the seemingly unbeatable Lopez at the 2011 World Championships. López had won world titles in 2005 and 2007, claimed the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and then went on to the next two world championships.

Mijaín López

But Lopez restored order to the heavyweight division he’s ruled for years by dropping Kayaalp in that semifinal match. He scored a couple of late points while on offense to win the first period. That set the tone heading into the second period, which also went to the “par terre” tiebreaker position. This time López  stayed on the bottom, keeping Kayaalp from scoring on him. Kayaalp flailed wildly as he attempted to pick López off the mat, but nothing worked.

Following that redemptive win over Kayaalp, López believed no one else could touch him… And that proved to be the case when he defeated Nabi in the final in similar fashion to take home the gold.

Mijaín López

“I think it was a really good fight,” said López, whose performance on Monday solidified his place as one of the great Greco-Roman heavyweights of all time.

With the victory, López becomes the third wrestler to win multiple gold medals at 120 kilograms, joining Russian legend Alexandre Karelin and Alexander Koltschinkski of the former Soviet Union.

Asked if he’d be back for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, López was noncommittal.

“I mean I am [almost] 30 already. I have three Olympics behind me. It is going to be a little bit more difficult, but life goes on,” said López.