Cuban wrestler Mijain López Núñez retired after the 130-kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling final at the Paris Olympics — going out as a wrestling legend and his competitor’s hero.
López Núñez, 41, defeated Chilean Yasmani Acosta Fernández 6-0. The win earned López Núñez his fifth consecutive gold medal, as he made history as the first Olympic athlete to win gold in any event at five consecutive games and the first wrestler to win five gold medals.
Acosta Fernández said being the last person to fight López Núñez was an honor, calling him “a legend in the sport.”
After the fight, López Núñez unlaced his shoes and placed them in the center of the mat, symbolically indicating his retirement from wrestling.
López Núñez said it was a tough moment for him. “I turned in what we call ‘our weaponry,’” he told NBC News. “When one turns in their wrestling shoes, they are leaving behind a journey where from a young age they have carried out that work.”
After years in the sport, López Núñez said he believes he left behind an important legacy for young Cuban people.
Indeed, his competitor Acosta Fernández, a Cuban who moved to Chile, considers the Cuban wrestler an inspiration. “Truly, I am a fan,” he said.
Acosta Fernandez also said that just moments before the fight, López Núñez had given him advice.
Acosta Fernandez is the first Chilean to win a medal in wrestling.