IOC President Thomas Bach congratulated wrestling legend Mijain Lopez on Tuesday, moments after the Cuban made history with his fifth Olympic title in Paris, an unprecedented event.
In images uploaded to the social network Facebook, the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) can be seen chatting with the Cuban gladiator, shaking his hand and giving him a warm hug.
The meeting took place while Lopez (130 kg Greco-Roman style) was on his way from the competition area to the mixed zone (where athletes attend to the press).
Lopez, who turns 42 next 20th, reciprocated Bach’s gesture with a smile and a bow.
In Paris, the gladiator from Herradura (Pinar del Rio) became the only athlete in history to win gold in the same individual modality in five consecutive Olympic editions.
Bach had arrived at the exact time of Lopez’s bout at the Champ room of Mars Arena, to be an eyewitness of one of the unforgettable moments in the history under the five rings.
At the conclusion of the bout, Lopez placed his shoes in the center of the mat as a sign of farewell to the sport.
With the gold in Paris, Lopez bids farewell to the sport with five Olympic golds, adding those won in Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
