Mijain López, 39, is a four-time Olympic champion, five-time World champion, and five-time Pan American Games champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. He is also an undeniable representative of Afro-Latino descent during Black History Month.
Mijan López Career
From a young age on, Mijan López honed his tremendous physical power by chasing animals and hauling heavy crates of produce. Misael and Michel, his older brothers, were also athletes, so they exposed him to their training and did everything they could to develop in him a love of rowing and boxing.
He dabbled in boxing when he was younger, but since he was 10 years old, wrestling has been his sole focus.
At age 13, he shattered his tibia and fibula competing, which could have ended his career. His dad was worried about him, so he attempted to talk him out of playing sports, but the kid was determined.
M. López First Olympic
He qualified for his first Olympics in 2000 and finished fifth, behind the victorious Russian Khasan Baroev, in Athens in 2004. For a 22-year-old who was “spoiled, cranky, and a trouble-maker,” as his brother Michel put it, López certainly accomplished a lot.
That was it; he’d train until he was unbeatable and then some. The myth of Mijan López was beginning to take shape, and like that of the Greek hero Hercules, he possessed nearly godlike levels of physical prowess.
M. López Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
The Covid-19 outbreak forced Mijan to suspend his training for a lengthy period, but he was still widely considered the favourite to win Olympic gold. He ultimately exceeded the hopes and dreams of his fans in Cuba. He advanced to the championship match against Iakobi Kajaia by beating Alin Alexuc (Romania) 9-0, Amin Mirzazadeh (Islamic Republic of Iran) 8-0, and Riza Kayaalp (Turkey) 2-0. (Georgia).
Kajaia conceded the gold medal match to Mijan López with 10 seconds remaining on the clock after realising he was too far behind on points to win. The behemoth and his colleagues jumped for joy when he won a fourth Olympic gold medal in a row.
Last Words
He began the celebration by knocking down his coach, then he carried around the mat one of his teammates, and eventually he covered himself in the Cuban flag, all the while smiling his strange and inimitable grin. Thanks for reading our article M. López Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
