Mijaín López facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mijaín López

López at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Mijaín López Núñez
Nickname(s)	The Kid, El Terrible, The Giant of Herradura
Born	(1982-08-20) 20 August 1982 (age 42) Entronque de Herradura, Cuba
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight	131.5 kg (290 lb)
Sport
Country	Cuba
Sport	Wrestling
Event(s)	Greco-Roman
Club	Cerro Pelado
Coached by	Pedro Val
Medal record Men's wrestling Representing  Cuba Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 5 0 0 World Championship 5 3 0 World Cup 3 0 0 World University Championship 1 0 0 Pan American Games 5 0 0 Central American and Caribbean Games 3 0 0 Pan American Championship 9 1 0 Grand Prix Ivan Poddubny 0 0 1 Junior Pan American Wrestling Championship 2 0 0 Men's Greco-Roman wrestling Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing 120 kg Gold 2012 London 120 kg Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 130 kg Gold 2020 Tokyo 130 kg Gold 2024 Paris 130 kg World Championships Gold 2005 Budapest 120 kg Gold 2007 Baku 120 kg Gold 2009 Herning 120 kg Gold 2010 Moscow 120 kg Gold 2014 Tashkent 130 kg Silver 2006 Guangzhou 120 kg Silver 2011 Istanbul 120 kg Silver 2015 Las Vegas 130 kg World Cup Gold 2005 Tehran 120 kg Gold 2006 Budapest 120 kg Gold 2009 Clermont-Ferrand 120 kg World University Championships Gold 2005 Izmir 120 kg Pan American Games Gold 2003 Santo Domingo 120 kg Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro 120 kg Gold 2011 Guadalajara 120 kg Gold 2015 Toronto 130 kg Gold 2019 Lima 130 kg Central American and Caribbean Games Gold 2014 San Juan 130 kg Gold 2014 Veracruz 130 kg Gold 2018 Barranquilla 130 kg Pan American Championships Gold 2002 Maracaibo 120 kg Gold 2004 Guatemala City 120 kg Gold 2005 Guatemala City 120 kg Gold 2006 Rio de Janeiro 120 kg Gold 2007 San Salvador 120 kg Gold 2008 Colorado Springs 120 kg Gold 2009 Maracaibo 120 kg Gold 2012 Colorado Springs 120 kg Gold 2014 Mexico City 130 kg Silver 2003 Guatemala City 120 kg Junior Pan American Championships Gold 2002 Bogota 120 kg Men's freestyle wrestling Junior Pan American Championships Gold 2002 Bogota 120 kg

Mijaín López Núñez (born August 20, 1982) is a Cuban wrestler who recently retired. He is known as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Mijaín López has won five Olympic gold medals and five World Championship titles. This makes a total of 10 world-level gold medals.

He is also a five-time champion at the Pan American Games. Mijaín is the younger brother of Michel López Núñez, who is a Cuban boxer. Mijaín López was chosen to be Cuba's flag bearer at the opening ceremonies of the 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020 Summer Olympics. He was also one of the flag bearers for Cuba at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

After winning the gold medal in the Greco-Roman 130 kg event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Mijaín López made history. He became the first and only athlete in modern Olympic history to win five gold medals in the same individual event in a row.

Mijaín López's Amazing Career

Mijaín López has proudly represented Cuba in wrestling at many Olympic Games. He competed in 2004 in Athens, 2008 in Beijing, 2012 in London, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, 2020 in Tokyo, and 2024 in Paris.

Early Olympic Journey

In his first Olympics in 2004, he finished in fifth place. However, he quickly showed his strength. In both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, he won the gold medal in the men's Greco-Roman 120 kg category.

Making History with Gold Medals

Mijaín López continued his winning streak. At the 2016 Rio Games, he won another gold medal, this time in the 130 kg category. He then won gold again at the 2020 Tokyo Games. What's even more impressive is that he didn't lose a single point in the entire tournament! This made him the first male wrestler to win four Olympic gold medals. He also became only the fifth athlete ever to win four gold medals in the same individual event.

During the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he also became the first Cuban athlete to be the country's flag bearer four times. This broke a record he shared with another Cuban legend, Teófilo Stevenson.

Retirement as a Legend

In 2016, Mijaín López also won his tenth gold medal at Cuba's national wrestling championships.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Mijaín López achieved something truly special. He won his fifth gold medal, becoming the first Olympic athlete in any sport to win five gold medals in the same individual event. After his victory, he left his wrestling shoes in the middle of the mat. This was a symbolic way of saying he was retiring from the sport.

Major Wrestling Achievements

Mijaín López has an incredible record in international wrestling. He has won many medals at the highest levels of the sport.

World Championships Success

• In 2005, he won his first gold medal at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. He dominated his opponents, winning the final 7-1.
• He won silver in 2006 in Guangzhou, China.
• In 2007, he won gold again in Baku, Azerbaijan.
• He continued his gold medal streak in 2009 in Herning, Denmark, and in 2010 in Moscow, Russia.
• In 2011, he won a silver medal in Istanbul, Turkey.
• He returned to gold in 2014 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, winning the 130 kg weight class.
• His last World Championship medal was a silver in 2015 in Las Vegas, United States.

Olympic Games Highlights

Mijaín López's Olympic journey is truly legendary:

• 2004 Athens: Finished fifth in the 120 kg weight class.
• 2008 Beijing: Won the gold medal in the 120 kg weight class, outscoring opponents 24-3.
• 2012 London: Won his second gold medal in the 120 kg weight class, with a perfect 14-0 score against opponents.
• 2016 Rio de Janeiro: Won his third gold medal in the 130 kg weight class, not giving up a single point (16-0).
• 2020 Tokyo: Won his fourth gold medal in the 130 kg weight class, again without losing a point (24-0).
• 2024 Paris: Won his historic fifth gold medal in the 130 kg weight class, with a score of 20-2 against opponents.

Images for kids

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  Olympic Rings

See also

In Spanish: Mijaín López Núñez para niños