A Cuban wrestler won his fifth straight Olympic gold and then immediately retired

PARIS — A Cuban wrestler made Olympic history Tuesday, then walked away.

Mijaín López became the first Summer Olympian in any individual sport to win five consecutive gold medals in the same event, a masterful feat of longevity and dominance that he reached by defeating Chile's Yasmani Acosta, 6-0, in the 130-kilogram final in Greco-Roman wrestling at Champ-de-Mars Arena.

When it was over, López picked up his coaches in a pair of bear hugs before walking to the center of the mat and untying his shoes. In the international symbol for a wrestler's retirement, he removed his shoes, left them on the mat and walked away in his socks.

"It was time to say goodbye at the mat," López told reporters. "What better opportunity is there for me to be here at a final match, to be able to fight with a fellow brother, and to win at an Olympic Games? There is no better way to say goodbye at the Olympic Games than to leave the door open for the next generation."

Nicknamed "El Terrible" for his imposing figure and sheer dominance, López won his first Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Games in Beijing, when he was 25 years old. He won his fifth just a few weeks shy of his 42nd birthday.

Believe it or not, he did not compete at all between his previous march to gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and this one.

"He has been here for many years, so it is very important to conserve his body," his coach Raul Trujillo told The Guardian.

As he circled the mat after his victory, López held one hand above his head in a triumphant fist and used the other to cradle Trujillo, who was in tears.

"This was a legacy," he said. "I have fulfilled the commitment that I had to myself. I gave the very best that I had."

While many athletes have won five gold medals at the Summer Olympics, they have all needed to participate in team or multiple events to do so. None have dominated one event like López.

His mark, however, might prove to be short-lived. American swimmer Katie Ledecky could match López's feat with gold in the 800-meter freestyle at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @Tom_Schad.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cuban wrestler Mijaín López wins 5th straight Olympic gold medal