Mijaín López Núñez (born 20 August 1982) is a Cuban retired Greco-Roman wrestler. Widely considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, López is a five-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time World Champion, for a total of 10 world gold medals (second highest, behind Aleksandr Karelin's twelve), and a five-time Pan American Games champion. He is the younger brother of Michel López Núñez, a Cuban amateur boxer. López was Cuba's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics, and one of the country's flag bearers at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Upon winning the gold medal in the Greco-Roman 130 kg event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, López became the first and only athlete in modern Olympics history to win five consecutive gold medals in the same individual event.
Career López has represented Cuba at the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Summer Olympics in Athens, Beijing, and London, and was his country's flag bearer during the opening ceremonies in 2008 and 2012. In 2004, he placed fifth, whereas in 2008 and 2012, he won the gold medal in the men's Greco-Roman 120 kg category. At the 2016 Rio Games, López won Gold in the 130 kg category. He again won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Games without losing a single point in the tournament, becoming the first male wrestler to win four Olympic gold medals, as well as only the fifth athlete to win four gold medals in the same individual event. During the opening ceremony of the same Olympics, he also became the first Cuban representative to become the country's flag bearer four times, breaking the tie between Teófilo Stevenson and himself.
In 2016, López won his tenth gold medal at the national wrestling championships of Cuba.
At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, López won his fifth gold medal, becoming the first Olympic athlete in any sport to win five gold medals in the same individual event. He subsequently left his wrestling shoes in the center of the mat after his victory, signifying his retirement from the sport.
International competition record
World Championships
In the 2005 World Championships he won the gold medal in the 120 kg weight class, outscoring his opponents 52–0 up to the final, before winning the final 7-1 vs Mihaly deak-bardos (HUN), in Budapest (Hungary). In the 2006 World Wrestling Championships he won the silver medal in the 120 kg weight class, outscoring his opponents 40–0 up to the final, before losing the final 0-12 vs Khasan Baroev (RUS), in Guangzhou (China). In the 2007 World Wrestling Championships he won the gold medal in the 120 kg weight class, outscoring his opponents 49–9 up to the final, before winning the final 2-2 vs Khasan Baroev (RUS), in Baku (Azerbaijan). In the 2009 World Wrestling Championships he won the gold medal in the 120 kg weight class, outscoring his opponents 25–0 up to the final, before winning the final 6-1 vs Dremiel Byers (USA), in Herning (Denmark). In the 2010 World Wrestling Championships he won the gold medal in the 120 kg weight class, outscoring his opponents 21–0 up to the final, before winning the final 4-0 vs Yury Patrikeyev (ARM), in Moscow (Russia). In the 2011 World Wrestling Championships he won the silver medal in the 120 kg weight class, outscoring his opponents 16–0 up to the final, before losing the final 0-4 vs Rıza Kayaalp (TUR), in Istanbul (Turkey). In the 2014 World Wrestling Championships he won the gold medal in the 130 kg weight class, outscoring his opponents 25–2 up to the final, before winning the final 2-0 vs Rıza Kayaalp (TUR), in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). In the 2015 World Wrestling Championships he won the silver medal in the 130 kg weight class, outscoring his opponents 15–1 up to the final, before losing the final 0-4 vs Rıza Kayaalp (TUR), in Las Vegas (United States).
Olympic Games In the 2004 Olympics he placed fifth in the 120 kg weight class in Athens. In the 2008 Olympics he won the gold medal, outscoring his opponents 24–3 in the 120 kg weight class in Beijing. In the 2012 Olympics he won the gold medal, outscoring his opponents 14–0 in the 120 kg weight class in London. In the 2016 Olympics he won the gold medal, outscoring his opponents 16–0 in the 130 kg weight class in Rio de Janeiro. In the 2020 Olympics he won the gold medal, outscoring his opponents 24–0 in the 130 kg weight class in Tokyo. In the 2024 Olympics he won the gold medal, outscoring his opponents 20–2 in the 130 kg weight class in Paris.
! style=background:white colspan=8 |International competition record |- ! Res. ! Opponent ! Record ! Score ! Date ! Event ! Location ! Venue |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Yuri Evseichik |1-0 |5-0 |rowspan=2|24 August 2004 |rowspan=4|2004 Summer Olympics |rowspan=4| Athens, Greece |rowspan=4|Ano Liosia Olympic Hall (now SUNEL Arena) |- | Won |align=left| Yekta Yılmaz Gül |2-0 |4-0 |- | Lost |align=left| Khasan Baroev |2-1 |0-2 |rowspan=2|25 August 2004 |- | Won |align=left| Yannick Szczepaniak |3-1 |WO |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Ari Taub |4-1 |16-0 |rowspan=5|2 October 2005 |rowspan=5|2005 World Wrestling Championships |rowspan=5| Budapest, Hungary |rowspan=5|László Papp Budapest Sports Arena |- | Won |align=left| Yekta Yılmaz Gül |5-1 |16-0 |- | Won |align=left| Juha Ahokas |6-1 |12-0 |- | Won |align=left| Georgiy Tsurtsumia |7-1 |8-0 |- | Won |align=left| Mihály Deák-Bárdos |8-1 |7-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Liu Hao |9-1 |11-0 |rowspan=5|27 September 2006 |rowspan=5|2006 World Wrestling Championships |rowspan=5| Guangzhou, China |rowspan=5|Tianhe Gymnasium |- | Won |align=left| Mindaugas Mizgaitis |10-1 |13-0 |- | Won |align=left| İsmail Güzel |11-1 |7-0 |- | Won |align=left| Mihály Deák-Bárdos |12-1 |9-0 |- | Lost |align=left| Khasan Baroev |12-2 |0-12 |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Anton Botev |13-2 |16-3 |rowspan=5|19 September 2007 |rowspan=5|2007 World Wrestling Championships |rowspan=5| Baku, Azerbaijan |rowspan=5|Heydar Aliyev Sports and Concert Complex |- | Won |align=left| Davyd Saldadze |14-2 |7-0 |- | Won |align=left| Yuri Patrikeyev |15-2 |8-5 |- | Won |align=left| Ioseb Chugoshvili |16-2 |13-0 |- | Won |align=left| Khasan Baroev |17-2 |2-2 |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Siarhei Artsiukhin |18-2 |5-1 |rowspan=4|14 August 2008 |rowspan=4|2008 Summer Olympics |rowspan=4| Beijing, China |rowspan=4|China Agricultural University Gymnasium |- | Won |align=left| Yuri Patrikeyev |19-2 |4F-1 |- | Won |align=left| Jalmar Sjöberg |20-2 |9-0 |- | Won |align=left| Khasan Baroev |21-2 |6-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Ali Nadhim |22-2 |7-0 |rowspan=5|27 September 2009 |rowspan=5|2009 World Wrestling Championships |rowspan=5| Herning, Denmark |rowspan=5|Messecenter Herning |- | Won |align=left| Rafael Barreno |23-2 |12-0 |- | Won |align=left| Ioseb Chugoshvili |24-2 |4-5 |- | Won |align=left| Rıza Kayaalp |25-2 |2-0 |- | Won |align=left| Dremiel Byers |26-2 |6F-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Nie Xiaoming |27-2 |8-0 |rowspan=5|7 September 2010 |rowspan=5|2010 World Wrestling Championships |rowspan=5| Moscow, Russia |rowspan=5|Olympic Stadium |- | Won |align=left| Łukasz Banak |28-2 |4-0 |- | Won |align=left| Marek Švec |29-2 |7-0 |- | Won |align=left| Nurmakhan Tinaliyev |30-2 |2-0 |- | Won |align=left| Yuri Patrikeyev |31-2 |4-0 |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Johan Eurén |32-2 |3-0 |rowspan=6|13 September 2011 |rowspan=6|2011 World Wrestling Championships |rowspan=6| Istanbul, Turkey |rowspan=6|Sinan Erdem Dome |- | Won |align=left| Murat Ramonov |33-2 |6-0 |- | Won |align=left| Yuri Patrikeyev |34-2 |3-0 |- | Won |align=left| Bashir Babajanzadeh |35-2 |2-0 |- | Won |align=left| Łukasz Banak |36-2 |2-0 |- | Lost |align=left| Rıza Kayaalp |36-3 |0-4 |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Abdelrahman El-Trabely |37-3 |4-0 |rowspan=4|6 August 2012 |rowspan=4|2012 Summer Olympics |rowspan=4| London, United Kingdom |rowspan=4|ExCeL London |- | Won |align=left| Guram Pherselidze |38-3 |4-0 |- | Won |align=left| Rıza Kayaalp |39-3 |3-0 |- | Won |align=left| Heiki Nabi |40-3 |3-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Murodjon Tuychiev |41-3 |10-2 |rowspan=5|13 September 2014 |rowspan=5|2014 World Wrestling Championships |rowspan=5| Tashkent, Uzbekistan |rowspan=5|Gymnastics Sport Palace |- | Won |align=left| Eduard Popp |42-3 |8-0 |- | Won |align=left| Behnam Mehdizadeh |43-3 |6c-0 |- | Won |align=left| Bilyal Makhov |44-3 |1-0 |- | Won |align=left| Rıza Kayaalp |45-3 |2-0 |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Bilyal Makhov |46-3 |2-1 |rowspan=5|8 September 2015 |rowspan=5|2015 World Wrestling Championships |rowspan=5| Las Vegas |rowspan=5|Orleans Arena |- | Won |align=left| Mindaugas Mizgaitis |47-3 |3-0 |- | Won |align=left| Heiki Nabi |48-3 |2-0 |- | Won |align=left| Robby Smith |49-3 |8-0 |- | Lost |align=left| Rıza Kayaalp |49-4 |0-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Heiki Nabi |50-4 |3-0 |rowspan=4|15 August 2016 |rowspan=4|2016 Summer Olympics |rowspan=4| Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |rowspan=4|Carioca Arena 2 |- | Won |align=left| Johan Eurén |51-4 |4-0 |- | Won |align=left| Sergey Semenov |52-4 |3-0 |- | Won |align=left| Rıza Kayaalp |53-4 |6-0 |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Alin Alexuc-Ciurariu |54-4 |9-0 |rowspan=3|1 August 2021 |rowspan=4|2020 Summer Olympics |rowspan=4| Tokyo, Japan |rowspan=4|Makuhari Messe |- | Won |align=left| Amin Mirzazadeh |55-4 |8-0 |- | Won |align=left| Rıza Kayaalp |56-4 |2-0 |- | Won |align=left| Iakobi Kajaia |57-4 |5-0 |2 August 2021 |- ! style=background:white colspan=8 | |- | Won |align=left| Lee Seung-chan |58-4 |7-0 |rowspan=3|5 August 2024 |rowspan=4|2024 Summer Olympics |rowspan=4| Paris, France |rowspan=4|Grand Palais Éphémère |- | Won |align=left| Amin Mirzazadeh |59-4 |3-1 |- | Won |align=left| Sabah Shariati |60-4 |4-1 |- | Won |align=left| Yasmani Acosta |61-4 |6-0 |6 August 2024
See also List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
Notes
References
External links