Cuban grappler Mijain Lopez: First Olympic athlete to win five consecutive gold medals

Mijain Lopez dropped to all fours, then stood briefly before unlacing his shoes as the crowd cheered. After he removed his shoes, he held both arms up and acknowledged the fans again.

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Thanks to his victory in the final of the 130 kg Greco-Roman wrestling event, Cuban great Mijain Lopez became the first athlete in history to win the title in the same event five times running.

Superstar of Greco-Roman wrestling and already crowned Olympic champion in the -130kg class in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2021, Cuban Mijain Lopez has pulled off an unprecedented tour de force. By winning (6-0) his bout against Chile's Yasmani Acosta Fernandez in the Paris final on Tuesday evening, the wrestler validated his domination of the same event for the fifth consecutive edition. A feat that no other wrestler has achieved in any discipline.

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.

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.

A staggering supremacy for the soon-to-be 42-year-old athlete, who hasn't taken part in a single competition since his Tokyo triumph. He is present in the French capital thanks to a quota won by his compatriot Oscar Pino (not present in Paris) for the 2023 World Championships. His gold medal is his country's second medal of the Paris Games, Arlen Lopez having won bronze in the -80 kg boxing event.

And since history loves a wink, it's worth noting that this 24th victory in a row was snatched from a Cuban-born opponent forced into exile for a chance to live his Olympic dream. Instead of gold, he leaves with silver.

(With inputs from Justine Saint-Sevin/L'Équipe)