VARADERO-. The Cuban guy Mijain Lopez He is not satisfied and goes for more. The Cuban legend of Greco-Roman wrestling ambitions a new feat that will put him among the most successful high-performance athletes in the world: to climb to the top of the podium at the Paris Olympic Games and win his fifth consecutive gold medal.
The “Terrible” — the nickname by which he is also known — wants to exhibit all his strength on the tapestry of the arena built on the iconic Champ de Mars.
He will compete just a few days before turning 42 years old, marking two decades of participation in the summer fairs.
“Since 2004 I have been participating in the Olympic Games. It’s going to be a very nice competition for me and all my followers,” López told The Associated Press last week.
With slow speech and great corpulence, he took a break from his training in the resort of Varadero, about 150 kilometers east of the capital Havana, and where the island’s wrestling team is based.
In his first Olympic participation, in Athens 2004, López was left out of the medals, but from there he has not stopped.
His Olympic reign began in Beijing 2008 to continue winning gold in the London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 events, an edition that was held a year later due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the same time in the 120-130 kilogram category, López also achieved five world titles and reigned in five Pan American Games, although he was absent from Santiago, Chile, last year for personal reasons.
“The mattress says the last word. It’s just arriving. Do things perfectly, without mistakes,” López expressed about his plan for Paris. “Let no one think that because I am 41 years old I am old.”
Born in August 1982 in the small town of Herradura, in the western province of Pinar del Río, López began competing at a very young age in national competitions and making his way with the Cuban team.
López shared these days’ training with several other Cuban fighters who will also seek to leave their mark in Paris. Such is the case of Luis Alberto Orta, the 60-kilogram monarch in Tokyo 2020, and Gabriel Rossillo, world leader in the 97 kilos.
López is one of the great figures of Cuban sports who did not leave the island in these years marked by a severe economic crisis and offers of professionalism or juicy contracts for athletes from many disciplines.
The desertions have caused a deterioration in the competitive level of the former Cuban machinery.
López does not judge his colleagues who left the island where they trained for years as elite athletes and instead he does have a message for them.
“Tell all those young people who decided to leave our country to continue doing well, to not lose their tenderness, to continue being the true Cubans that they are, with simplicity, humility and to continue doing things for the love of sport and not for other things,” said López.
Cuba has good expectations with its fighting gladiators, and with López’s ability to remain current. On repeated occasions these months it was indicated that this would also be the gladiator’s farewell to his sporting career.
“It is a very strong team, very well prepared and great,” Raúl de Jesús Trujillo, the head coach of the national wrestling team, told AP.
“If we were not sure (of Mijaín and his potential for a medal) we would not be training, nor would I be sacrificing him because what he has done (in his career) is a feat,” he added.
The team will travel to Croatia, Hungary and Bulgaria in the middle of the month to continue their training and compete. López is not expected to take the mat in those fights, preserving himself for Paris.
“I am going to arrive with the certainty and confidence that I have always arrived at all the Olympic Games. May all the people of Cuba wait for my medal,” he remarked.
Source: AP
