Mijaín López's Historic Victory Celebrated in Herradura, Pinar del Río

The elite Cuban athlete Mijaín López's quest for his fifth Olympic gold medal in Paris 2024 was a monumental event in his hometown of Herradura, located in Pinar del Río province. In a local gathering spot, family, friends, neighbors, and local authorities came together to watch the sporting event.

The crowd was visibly thrilled by López's performance, living each second of the match intensely. Their faces beamed with joy as the referee declared the five-time Olympic champion's victory. López's only Olympic defeat occurred on August 24, 2004, against Russian Kashan Baroev. Since that experience, he has only clinched gold medals in Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016, Tokyo 2020, and recently in Paris 2024, on August 6.

A particularly emotional moment was when Mijaín López removed his wrestling shoes, kissed the mat, and bid farewell to his audience, signifying that he had reached the pinnacle of his athletic career and was ready to retire.

The final match was doubly poignant as he faced his friend and fellow Cuban wrestler, Yasmani Acosta, who was representing Chile. López triumphed with a score of 6-0, becoming a five-time Olympic champion in a historic final in the 130-kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling category.

The narration of the event was also filled with emotions. Journalist Evian Guerra noted that Mijaín López is the only athlete in the world to have won five consecutive Olympic gold medals in the same individual sport. He is also the oldest athlete to win an Olympic gold and the Cuban athlete with the most Olympic medals.

"We have witnessed one of the most significant moments in Olympic sports. It was achieved by a Cuban, a man from Herradura, from Pinar del Río, from Cuba. Pinar del Río is not only the land of the world's best tobacco; it is also the land of the greatest wrestler in history," said Guerra emotionally.