PARIS, France — Mijain Lopez has gone out on top.
The 41-year-old Cuban wrestler defeated Yasmani Acosta Fernandez of Chile 6-0 in the 130-kilogram final at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday to win his fifth consecutive gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling. He’s the first Olympic athlete to win gold in any event at five consecutive Games and the first wrestler to win five gold medals.
Following the match, he placed his shoes in the center of the mat, symbolizing his retirement. Lopez first appeared at the Summer Olympics in 2004, when he finished fifth.
Shortly after winning this gold medal, Lopez embraced Acosta Fernandez, a Cuban who moved to Chile to give himself a better chance of competing in the big events. Acosta Fernandez is the first wrestling medalist for Chile.
As Lopez continued to celebrate, jubilant fans clapped in unison as the song “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by the Eurythmics blared over the sound system. Lopez then dropped to all fours, stood briefly, then began to unlace his shoes as the crowd cheered. Lopez had said Monday that he would retire, saying there needed to be room for new faces in the sport.
After he removed his shoes, he held both arms in the air and acknowledged the fans once again.
At the last Olympics, Lopez became the first male wrestler to win four gold medals when he dominated in Tokyo, blowing through the field unscored upon in four matches. He gave up two points in four matches this time.