Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez etched his name in Olympic annals on Tuesday by becoming the first athlete to secure five consecutive individual gold medals in the same event, surpassing the achievements of legendary figures like Carl Lewis and Michael Phelps. Lopez, who will celebrate his 42nd birthday in two weeks, triumphed over fellow Cuban Yasmani Acosta, representing Chile, in the final of the 130kg Greco-Roman category. This victory broke the tie for four consecutive individual Olympic golds he previously shared with Carl Lewis (athletics/long jump), Michael Phelps (swimming/200m medley), Katie Ledecky (swimming/800m freestyle), Al Oerter (athletics/discus), Paul Elvstrom (sailing), and Kaori Icho (wrestling). Reflecting on his Olympic successes, Lopez described them as: "Beijing - youth; London - transcendence, Rio - effort; Tokyo - sacrifice; Paris - joy." He emphasized that to attain such results, one must deeply love their sport and profession, showcasing that even with minimal resources, one can achieve greatness. A wrestling icon, Lopez had initially retired after the 2021 Tokyo Games but returned to secure this historic win. Despite a three-year hiatus and suffering from four herniated discs, he stunned world champion Amin Mirzazadeh of Iran in the Paris quarterfinals. His victory over Acosta in the final was poignant, given their close friendship. Across six Olympic appearances, Lopez boasts 22 wins and only one loss, which occurred in the 2004 Athens quarterfinals. Coach Raul Trujillo highlighted Lopez's motivations, stating, "He is not very interested in glory. He does this for the love of his sport, for his pleasure. If God gave him the opportunity to be the greatest in history, why not take advantage of it?" After receiving a standing ovation from the crowd, Lopez followed the tradition of retiring wrestlers by placing his shoes in the center of the mat. He expressed his commitment to making way for younger talents to ensure the sport's continuity, calling wrestling "the love of my life, for all of my life." His record might be matched in four years if Ledecky, 27, continues swimming at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Acosta, 36, who recently switched to representing Chile due to federation rules limiting one wrestler per nation per category at the Olympics, hailed Lopez as a "legend worldwide." Acosta described their long-standing relationship, noting, "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 added, "He has been giving me advice in every phase, so he's everything, a rival, a friend, he's a brother." Before the final, the two shared a light-hearted moment, with Acosta playfully asking for advice, to which Lopez jokingly replied, "The final is against me." But ultimately, he wished Acosta a good match.