The first Olympic athlete in history to win five consecutive single-event titles was born, and the 41-year-old Cuban wrestling legend Lopez made a perfect farewell
2024-08-08
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The Eiffel Tower is at the northwest end of the Champ de Mars, and the other end of the diagonal is the Champ de Mars Arena. If there is a god of war in this world, then Cuban Mihain Lopez must be the most suitable person.
Among all the Olympic fighting events, the men's 130kg class in Greco-Roman wrestling is the largest class. The 1.96-meter-tall Lopez faced the 1.93-meter-tall Chilean player Yasmani Acosta. Just the two of them entered the arena, but this final ignited a different fighting spirit in the arena.
There was no suspense in the match. Lopez's complete victory over his opponent was a predictable result. The Cuban, who will turn 42 in two weeks, is the biggest winner of the men's Greco-Roman wrestling in the past four Olympic Games, and his victory in Paris made him the first Olympic athlete in history to achieve five consecutive championships in a single event.
As the audience stood up and applauded, Lopez knelt on one knee, untied his shoelaces, and took off his left boot, then the other one. He kissed the boots, placed them in the center of the wrestling mat, stood up, and raised his arms. It was obvious at a glance that Lopez was controlling his emotions. He held back his tears and turned to leave the stage, while the coach in the audience was already crying.
This is how Lopez said goodbye. "It's time to say goodbye on the wrestling mat. For me, there is no better opportunity than this - to come to Paris, to fight side by side with my brothers, to compete in the final and win. The best way to say goodbye at the Olympics is to open the door for the next generation."
"I feel a little sad, like you left a part of your life there forever," Lopez said of the moment he took off his shoes. "I've been doing this sport since I was very young. Wrestling made me famous all over the world. I left a dream on the mat that will inspire all young people."
Even the opponent was filled with mixed emotions. "I have mixed feelings," said runner-up Acosta. "I want to win the championship, but not because I want to beat a legend like Lopez." Acosta is six years younger than Lopez. He was born in Cuba and trained with the legend for nine years as a sparring partner. Because of Lopez in front of him, Acosta did not have the opportunity to compete in international competitions, and eventually he turned to compete for Chile. While waiting for the license to participate, Acosta could not train and worked as a security guard for two years.
"Whenever we compete together, he always gives me all kinds of advice," Acosta said. Before the final, he asked Lopez: "What advice can you give me this time?" "How should I do this? You are playing against me." "Of course, this is a joke between us. He sincerely hopes that I will have an excellent performance." Acosta sighed, "For me, he is not only an opponent, but also a friend and a brother. He is everything."
What does Lopez want to say to Acosta and other juniors? "The legacy I want to leave to all the young people who follow me is that they should always strive for the goals they want to achieve. Without goals, nothing can be achieved." With a 32-year wrestling career, six Olympic Games, and five championships, Mihain Lopez said that all his achievements are attributed to love. "Everything you do in life must have love."
With glory and love, the God of War bid farewell at Victory Square.
(Our Paris correspondent, August 7)
Author: Shen Lei
Text: Special correspondent of this newspaper/Shen Lei Photo: Visual China Editor: Wu Yulun Responsible editor: Chen Haixiang
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