Mijain Lopez will retire after 16 years at the top of his game.
The Cuban won his first Olympic gold medal in 2008 and then made it five in a row by winning the 130-kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling title on Tuesday.
With this victory, he became the first person to win an individual event at the Olympic Games five times.
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Gold medalist Mijain Lopez celebrates by holding his fifth gold medal and the Cuban flag at the Paris Olympics on August 6, 2024. (Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
Lopez won gold in the 120kg weight class in 2008 and again in 2012. Four years later in Rio, he moved up 10kg and won again.
He won gold again in this class three years ago in Tokyo and repeated the feat in Paris on Tuesday.
After cementing his legend, Lopez placed his shoes in the center of the mat to symbolize his retirement.
“I’m more than happy,” Lopez said through a translator. “This is a result I longed for, but also for the whole world and my country. I’m very happy to be at the top of the Olympic Games. It’s a reward for all the hard work I’ve put in with the help of everyone and my family. It’s the biggest victory for me.”
Mijain Lopez will hang up his shoes to signify his retirement after winning his fifth Olympic gold medal at the Champ de Mars in Paris on August 6, 2024. (Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
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Lopez made his Olympic debut in Athens in 2004 and is also a five-time world champion in his class, with his first win coming back in 2005. Amazingly, his last world championship was in 2014 and he has since won three Olympic gold medals.
At the last Olympics, Lopez dominated in Tokyo, losing all four matches without conceding a single point, becoming the first male wrestler to win four Olympic gold medals. This time, he conceded just two points in four matches.
Mijain Lopez celebrates with his coaches at the Paris Olympic Games on August 6, 2024. (Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
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“To get to this point, you first have to love your sport, love what you do and show the world that with just a little bit of effort you can win,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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