Cuba’s Mijain Lopez: the First Man Ever to Win 4 Olympic Golds in Greco-Roman Wrestling

“The extra energy required to make another effort is the secret of winning.”

Born in 1982, in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Mijain Lopez Nunez is a Greco-Roman wrestler. Lopez was always a tall and big child, building his strength by carrying animals and fruit boxes in his town. According to Marca Magazine, he was spotted by a coach who encouraged him to try wrestling. 

Lopez began wrestling at the age of 10 and was nicknamed ‘The Kid’ and ‘The Terrible’ as a reference to his strength and large physical build. 

A Career of gold

Lopez made his international debut at the 2002 Junior Pan American Championships in the 120kg category where he won a gold. Since then, Lopez’s career has gained an impeccable medal record. As of 2021, he is a nine-time Pan American Championships winner, three-time Central American and Caribbean Games champion, five-time Pan American Games champion and a 2005 World University Games gold-medalist. 

That’s not all, Lopez is also a three-time World Cup champion, three-time silver medalist at the World Championships and five-time World Championships winner. 

Historic Olympic Victories

According to Britannica, Lopez has represented Cuba at the 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020/21 Olympics Games in men’s Greco-Roman wrestling. He won his first Olympic gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 120kg category. He defended his title in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016 in the 130kg category. 

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he won the gold medal in men’s Greco-Roman wrestling in the 130kg category. This makes Lopez only the fifth athlete ever to win four golds in the same individual event. He is also the first male athlete to win four consecutive golds in wrestling ever. 

Mijain Lopez’s journey is a perfect example of hard work, sacrifice, and strength. His groundbreaking victories are an inspiration to aspiring athletes worldwide. We bow down to Mijain Lopez, the undisputed king of Greco-Roman wrestling. 

#GCPWishesMijainLopez #GCPAWishesOlympians

Team Global Child Prodigy Congratulates Mijain Lopez for winning Gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This will inspire millions of people worldwide, including children who aspire to be like him. 

We are on a mission to recognize Child prodigies across the world in all domains. Do let us know in the comment section if you know any such kid who deserves to be on the top 100 Child Prodigies List. You can directly apply for Global Child Prodigy Award 2021 from the link below.