This is the only athlete who can win five Olympic golds in a row

To this day, no one has ever won five consecutive Olympic golds in any sport, it is a promised land that has been desperately tried to reach without success. In fact, only five names appear on the select list of the four-time Olympic champion in four Olympic Games. followed and in the same test: the athletes Al Oerter (disc) and Carl Lewis (long), the Japanese Kaori Icho (wrestling) and American swimmers Michael Phelps (200 styles) and Katie Ledecky (800 free).

There is a sixth name, and he is in Paris to compete. He is the only person in history capable of winning a fifth consecutive Olympic gold. He is in his sixth Olympic Games, he is 41 years old and he has been his country’s flag bearer in the opening ceremonies four times. With its impressive size of 1.96 m. and 130 kilos, he is known as ‘the Horseshoe Giant’, due to his population origin, and competes in Greco-Roman wrestling. He is Cuban and his name is Mijain Lopez.

Antillean colossus like French judoka Teddy Riner, Mijaín is beyond good and evil, he crossed the boundaries of legend a long time ago. Born large, he became a stable worker on the land he farmed with his family and had a sports background at home – his brother. Michelle, six years older, won the Olympic bronze in boxing in Athens ’04, where Mijaín debuted in fifth place – at the age of 10 he began training in Greco-Roman wrestling and the rest of his career is the story of one success after another. At Tokyo’20 he won his fourth consecutive Olympic gold without losing a single point throughout the tournament, defeating the legendary Siberian. Alexander Karelinconsidered, until the emergence of Mijaín, the greatest warrior of all time.

For several years, his appearances became more sporadic, but he prepared thoroughly to attack history in Paris, to the point that he refused the honor of being the bearer of the Cuban flag for the fifth time at the inauguration to extend a few more days in Croatia and Bulgaria some training started in the resort of Varadero, 150 km away. from Havana, headquarters of the powerful Cuban warring group. After competing here he announced his retirement, but he did the same thing in Tokyo and he’s still here.

For the first time in his career, both due to his age and the fact that he does not spend much time in international competitions, he is not among the favorites for gold, an honor that belongs to the Iranian. Mirzazadeh, current world champion. But Mijaín remains silent and waits for his moment, as he always does. He only issued a warning: “Don’t let anyone think that because I’m 41 years old I’m old.”

The Greco-Roman wrestling competition begins on Monday at the Champ de Mars in Paris, near the Eiffel Tower, and the medals will be distributed on Tuesday.