Cuba’s Mijain Lopez Nunez Wins Historic Fifth Gold Medal at Paris 2024 Olympics
Paris [France], August 7: In a historic moment at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Cuba’s Mijain Lopez Nunez won his fifth gold medal in the 130kg Greco-Roman wrestling final on August 6. The 41-year-old wrestler, who has been a dominant figure in the sport for nearly two decades, achieved a 6-0 victory.
After the match, Nunez kissed the mat and left his shoes behind, possibly signaling the end of his legendary career. He expressed mixed emotions, saying, “I felt a little sad. It is as if you have left a part of your life there. From a very early age, I was doing this sport–a sport that has made me known worldwide. I left a dream on the mat, but a dream that will inspire all young people.”
Nunez added, “The legacy that I want to leave to all the young people who follow me is to always fight for what they want to achieve. There are no goals, there is no age, there are no purposes in life that cannot be achieved.”
Despite not competing since winning gold at Tokyo 2020, Nunez’s achievement in Paris was remarkable. Chile’s Cuban-born Yasmani Acosta, who trained with Nunez for nine years, won the silver medal. Acosta said, “I feel a mix of emotions. I wanted to win gold, but at the same time, not so much because it’s Mijain, a legend in wrestling worldwide. He’s a rival, but also a friend. We have known each other for a long time now. We did the trials together for this year’s Olympic Games. He has been giving me advice in every phase, so he’s everything–a rival, a friend, he’s a brother.”
In the bronze medal matches, China’s Meng Lingzhe and Iran’s Amin Mirzazadeh defeated Egypt’s Abdellatif Mohamed and Azerbaijan’s Sabah Shariati, respectively.
Doubts Revealed
Cuba -: Cuba is a country in the Caribbean, which is a region of islands in the sea near the United States and Mexico.
Mijain Lopez Nunez -: Mijain Lopez Nunez is a famous wrestler from Cuba who has won many gold medals in the Olympics.
Paris 2024 Olympics -: The Paris 2024 Olympics is a big sports event where athletes from all over the world compete, and it will be held in Paris, France in the year 2024.
Greco-Roman wrestling -: Greco-Roman wrestling is a type of wrestling where athletes can only use their upper bodies and arms to fight, not their legs.
retirement -: Retirement means stopping working or competing, usually because someone is getting older or has done it for a long time.
Chile -: Chile is a country in South America, which is a continent below North America.
Yasmani Acosta -: Yasmani Acosta is a wrestler from Chile who won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
China -: China is a large country in Asia, which is the biggest continent in the world.
Meng Lingzhe -: Meng Lingzhe is a wrestler from China who won a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Iran -: Iran is a country in the Middle East, which is a region in Asia.
Amin Mirzazadeh -: Amin Mirzazadeh is a wrestler from Iran who won a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
legacy -: Legacy means something that a person leaves behind for others to remember them by, like their achievements or the way they inspired people.
