Cuba’s Mijain Lopez Nunez Makes History with Fifth Olympic Gold

Cuba’s Mijain Lopez Nunez made Olympic history in the 130kg Greco-Roman wrestling final, becoming the first athlete to win five gold medals in the same event. The 41-year-old's emotional victory may mark the end of a legendary career, inspiring future generations of athletes.

In a historic showdown at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Cuba's Mijain Lopez Nunez clinched his fifth gold medal in the 130kg Greco-Roman final, prevailing 6-0. The victory made him the first athlete in Olympic history to win five gold medals in the same event. The 41-year-old wrestling icon, who has dominated the sport for nearly two decades, kissed the mat and left his shoes behind—an act often signifying the end of a career—according to Olympics.com.

"I felt a little sad. It is as if you have left a part of your life there. From a very early age, I was doing this sport—a sport that has made me known worldwide. I left a dream on the mat, but a dream that will inspire all young people," Nunez said. "The legacy I want to leave to all the young people who follow me is to always fight for what they want to achieve. There are no goals, there is no age, there are no purposes in life that cannot be achieved," he added.

The 6-foot-5-inch wrestler rode a wave of emotions as the competition concluded. He celebrated by lifting his coaches and fought back tears while absorbing the monumental moment. His remarkable achievement in Paris is even more poignant given that Nunez had reportedly not competed since winning gold at Tokyo 2020, according to Olympics.com.

Chile's Cuban-born Yasmani Acosta secured the silver medal in a matchup that carried deep personal history, as the two had spent nine years training together. "I feel a mix of emotions. I wanted to win gold, but at the same time, not so much because it's Mijain, a legend in wrestling worldwide. He's a rival, but also a friend. We have known each other for a long time now. We did the trials together for this year's Olympic Games. He has been giving me advice in every phase, so he's everything—a rival, a friend, he's a brother," Acosta said after the fight.

In the bronze medal contests, People's Republic of China's Meng Lingzhe and the Islamic Republic of Iran's Amin Mirzazadeh defeated their respective opponents, Abdellatif Mohamed of Egypt and Sabah Shariati of Azerbaijan. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)