Ultimately, with his name resonating from the stands while standing by himself on the wrestling mat, Mijaín López took off his shoes and raised them to his lips. Casting himself as possibly the greatest Olympian of all time, he put them in the middle of the mat and said goodbye.
López accomplished a feat that no other Olympian has: he won the Greco-Roman wrestling title five times in a row, just two weeks before he turned 42. And on a nice evening at the Champ de Mars Arena in Paris, he made it look easy.
He overcame former compatriot and longtime training partner Yasmani Acosta Fernández 6-0 in his final gold medal match. He once completely lifted the 130 kg opponent off the mat and slung the wrestler from Chile over his shoulder.
The path taken by Acosta Fernández to win the silver medal is equally amazing as López’s path to the gold. The best athlete in his nation, López, is now 36, and he was eclipsed during his wrestling career. He was very talented, but he was never allowed to compete for Cuba because López (who had made his debut in Athens at the age of 21) was always the only one available.
He left for Chile in 2015, full of frustration, and never came back. Rather, he held a security guard position while he applied for Chilean citizenship. In 2017, he started to represent the country in South America, and the following year, he was granted full citizenship.
He declared before these Games, “I was always behind them in Cuba.” For nine years, I trained with them every day. I am truly grateful to them. However, you must comprehend the situation. A lot of the athletes I saw in the Olympics were ones I had already defeated, so I sobbed. I escaped Cuba to pursue a dream. Someone is not a deserter when they give up on something to pursue their dreams. I have a deep affection for both Chile and Cuba.”
Acosta Fernández now has a silver medal and might perhaps earn gold if, like the guy they nickname El Terrible, he goes back to the Games when he is forty.
But only López might be awarded this title in Paris 2024, having reached the pinnacle of his sport for more than 20 years. The old-timer didn’t cry; instead, he rejoiced by pumping his fists into the air, then picked up his coach, who was crying and laid him gently on the mat.
He took some time to untie his laces and hang his shoes one more time before heading back into the ring. Even though he came in as a wrestler, he left with an indelible mark.
