PARIS (July 21) — In the history of the Olympic Games, only one athlete has won the gold medal five times in a row: Ireen Wüst. At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, the Dutch speed skater reached the milestone and wrote her name in the history books when she won the 1,500m.

No Summer Olympian has ever won five consecutive gold medals in the same individual event. No wrestler has ever won five gold medals. That could all change in Paris. And the man sniffing at the record is Mijain LOPEZ (CUB).

The man affectionately known as ‘Gigante de Herradura’ and ‘El Terrible’ currently holds the record for winning the same individual Olympic event four times, along with swimming legend Michael Phelps, running hero Carl Lewis, American discus thrower Al Oerter, Danish sailor Paul Elvstrom and Kaori ICHO (JPN) who, like Lopez, has won four gold medals.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) wins the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling)

The super heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler, born on August 20, 1982, made his Olympic debut in 2004. He was accompanied in the contingent by his older brother Michel, a boxer (his other older brother, Misael, was a rower). Michel won a bronze medal in the super heavyweight division in Athens, a medal that continued Cuba’s historic dominance in boxing.

Lopez quietly observed everything during his first Games, and when he returned to the biggest stage of all, in Beijing, four years later, he would storm the field. The 1.95-meter wrestler won gold, repeating the feat in 2012, then in 2016 and the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“I feel like it’s a dream,” Lopez said. “I believe it’s a goal that I’ve had my whole career. I’ve won four gold medals. I believe that winning an Olympic gold medal is difficult. So winning four and five is exceptional.”

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) defends his gold medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Photo: United World Wrestling / Martin Gabor)

His rock-solid position in the super heavyweight division at the Olympics goes hand in hand with his dominance at the world championships, where he has won five titles and three silver medals, and nine Pan American championship crowns to his name.

Lopez last competed at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. After defeating Iakobi KAJAIA (GEO) in the gold medal match on superiority, he stayed away from the mat before resurfacing last year to renew his bid for a fifth Olympic gold medal.

In May 2023, he announced that he wanted to return, but he did not immediately compete, even though he was the favorite to defend his title at the Pan American Games.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) won his third gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

But due to a personal loss in the weeks leading up to the Pan Am Games, Lopez withdrew from the competition, opting to prepare for the bigger battle. He watched from the sidelines as a new face stood atop the podium at the Pan Am Games for the first time since 2003.

Meanwhile, Lopez trained with undivided focus at his bases in Varadero, the scenic beach resort about 150km from Havana, and the Pelado High-Performance Centre in Havana.

In Paris, he may have to fight two fights at once. The first against his aging body — he is currently 41 years old. And once he does that, the Cuban will have to navigate a tough field, especially since he is not among the ranked wrestlers in the 130 kg category.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) won his fourth gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Tony Rotundo)

Lopez sounded unmoved. He’s eager to break the record of one of his favorite athletes, someone he calls the greatest Olympian of all time: Phelps.

“The preparation is done. I feel in optimal condition and all the wrestlers are motivated, both in Cuba and internationally. It has been a very important time for me to maintain the motivation to reach my sixth Olympic Games and fight for my fifth medal,” he said. “Something I do with great focus to show the world that everything you have in mind and want to achieve, can be achieved. I know it is in my mind and I believe that the chance to achieve that result is great.”

Lopez will wrestle in Paris on August 5 and 6.