At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez made history by becoming the first athlete to win five consecutive gold medals in the same individual event, surpassing legends like Carl Lewis and Michael Phelps.

Mijain Lopez is the only person to win five consecutive gold medals at five Summer Olympics.

Lopez, who will turn 42 in two weeks, defeated compatriot Yasmani Acosta, now representing Chile, in the 130 kg Greco-Roman wrestling final on August 6.

With this victory, Lopez broke the record of athletes who had won four consecutive Olympic gold medals, including Carl Lewis (long jump), Michael Phelps (200m individual medley), Katie Ledecky (800m freestyle), Al Oerter (discus throw), Paul Elvstrom (sailing), and Kaori Icho (wrestling).

When asked about each Olympic Games where he won, Lopez said: “Beijing – youth; London – superiority; Rio – effort; Tokyo – sacrifice; Paris – joy. To achieve these results, you must love the sport you pursue, love your work, and prove to the world that with these little things, you can achieve great things,” Lopez said.

Lopez, a wrestling legend, had retired after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics before returning to achieve this feat. Despite a three-year hiatus to recover from a herniated disc, this recent victory marks the final appearance of the 130 kg “Giant” at the Olympics.

Lopez received a standing ovation from the audience before placing his shoes in the center of the mat, a tradition for wrestlers when they retire.

“We have to make way for the younger generation to ensure continuity. Wrestling has been the love of my life, throughout my life,” Lopez said before the final match.

“He doesn’t care much about glory. He does this for the love of the sport, for his own joy. If God gave him the opportunity to become the greatest in history, why not seize it?” Lopez’s coach, Raul Trujillo, told AFP.

Lopez had an uncompromising match with his compatriot and close friend Acosta (in dark blue).

Lopez had an uncompromising match with his compatriot and close friend Acosta (in dark blue).

Lopez’s record may stand for the next four years, as Ledecky could match it by continuing to swim at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Acosta, 36, who recently changed his nationality to Chile due to federation regulations allowing only one wrestler from each country in each weight category at the Olympics, described Lopez as a “global legend.”

“He is an opponent, but also a friend. We’ve known each other for a long time. We participated together in the qualifying rounds for this year’s Olympics. He offered me advice whenever he could, so he is everything, an opponent, a friend, he is a brother,” Acosta shared.

Acosta revealed what the two had said before the showdown: “I asked him, jokingly, if he had any advice for me before the final. He replied, ‘What do you mean? The final is against me.’ But in the end, he just wished me a good match.”