PARIS (August 6) -- Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) secured his place as the greatest champion in modern Olympic history, becoming the first athlete to win five gold medals in the same event in any sport with a victory Tuesday in the Greco 130kg final at the Paris Olympics.
The 41-year-old Lopez defeated Cuban-born and former training partner Yasmani ACOSTA (CHI) 6-0 to add to the golds he won at Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021.
With International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in attendance at the Champ de Mars Arena, Lopez scored a roll-off par terre in the first period, then added a takedown in the second to clinch the victory in his first competition since winning the gold in Tokyo.
He then removed his wrestling shoes and left them in the middle of the mat, the universal sign of a wrestler's decision to end his career.
Lopez had been one of eight athletes who had won four golds in the same event, along with fellow wrestler Kaori ICHO (JPN), sailing's Paul ELVSTROM (DEN), athletics' Al OERTER (USA) and Carl LEWIS (USA), and swimming's Michael PHELPS (USA) and Katie LEDECKY (USA) and shooting's Vincent HANCOCK (USA).
Now he is in an elite group of one.
