Wrestler Mijain Lopez puts Lewis, Phelps in shade with fifth successive Olympic gold

English Woman's Journal - Wrestler Mijain Lopez puts Lewis, Phelps in shade with fifth successive Olympic gold

SPORTS 06.08.2024

Wrestler Mijain Lopez puts Lewis, Phelps in shade with fifth successive Olympic gold / Photo: Luis ROBAYO - AFP

Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez made Olympic history on Tuesday when he became the first athlete to win five consecutive individual gold medals in the same event.

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Lopez, who turns 42 in two weeks' time, defeated Chile's Yasmani Acosta in the final of the 130kg Greco-Roman final.

With his victory, Lopez broke a tie for four successive individual Olympic golds he shared with Carl Lewis (athletics/long jump), Michael Phelps (swimming/200m medley), Katie Ledecky (swimming/800m freestyle), Al Oerter (athletics/discus), Paul Elvstrom (sailing) and Kaori Icho (wrestling).

A legend of wrestling, Lopez had retired after the 2021 Tokyo Games before returning to the sport to achieve his landmark triumph.

Despite a three-year absence, Lopez stunned world champion Amin Mirzazadeh of Iran in the quarter-finals in Paris.

Victory in the final on Tuesday may have been particularly sweet as it came against Cuban-born Acosta, now a naturalised Chilean.

In six Olympic appearances, Lopez now has 22 victories against just one defeat which came in the quarter-finals of the 2004 Games in Athens.

P.Smid--EWJ

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English Woman's Journal - Wrestler Mijain Lopez puts Lewis, Phelps in shade with fifth successive Olympic gold