he Greatest Olympian You’ve Never Heard Of: ‘El Terrible’ Sounds Like a Movie Monster
The text discusses the impressive career of Cuban wrestler Mijaín López, nicknamed “El Terrible.” Known for his incredible achievements in amateur wrestling, López has recently retired after the 2024 Olympics, leaving behind a legacy that rivals that of the most celebrated Olympians, such as swimmer Michael Phelps. At 6’5″ and 290 pounds, López has secured five gold medals in the Greco-Roman wrestling 130kg weight category, marking the longest consecutive gold medal streak in Olympic history. Remarkably, he had not given up a single point in over a decade prior to the 2024 Games, further highlighting his dominance in the sport. Opponents have described wrestling with him as a daunting challenge due to his strength and speed. His notable accomplishments, including an unexpected retirement followed by a pursuit of Olympic history, contribute to his legendary status in amateur wrestling.
Turns out, monsters do exist.
You just don’t hear about them, because they populate the relatively unpopular sport of amateur wrestling (not to be confused with its much more popular “professional” counterpart).
And that’s a shame, because one of the greatest — if not the greatest — Olympian to ever partake in the historic games called it a career after the 2024 spectacle.
Cuba’s Mijaín López has earned the nickname “El Terrible,” and you don’t even need to see his body of work to understand why.
You just need to see his body. The gargantuan 41-year-old stands at 6-foot-5 and tips the scales at 290 pounds, according to The Wall Street Journal.
But when you observe the accolades and body of work as a whole?
There’s every reason to believe that López is just as accomplished as the most accomplished Olympian ever, U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps — who boasts an eye-watering 23 gold medals.
(That’s more than twice as many as anyone else.)
No, López has a relatively meager five gold medals on his résumé.
But that’s still good enough to make history.
As NBC Sports noted in a captivating video, López won his fifth straight gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 130kg weight class.
That streak of gold medals in a single event is the longest such streak of any Olympian, ever.
Phelps, who is just shy of that record with four straight gold medals in a single event, couldn’t believe it.
“To be able to do that, it’s unheard of,” Phelps told the Journal.
The decorated swimmer added: “There’s a reason why no one’s ever done it before.”
Yet somehow, this feat that “no one’s ever done” before almost pales in comparison to one of López’s most impressive fun facts (well, not so fun for his opponents).
WSJ chronicles: “To the people unfortunate enough to have stepped into the ring with López, the remarkable streak of medals is just the beginning of his legend.
“Forget losing a match or settling for silver—entering the Paris Games, it had been more than a decade since he’d so much as given up a single point at the Olympics.”
And in an oddly prescient note, the Journal added: “His last gold medal, in Tokyo, came when his final opponent chose to stop competing, standing to one side and letting López raise his arms in victory.”
Opponents had nothing but respect for López when the topic was broached.
“It’s like wrestling with a rock who is moving,” retired Lithuanian wrestler Mindaugas Mizgaitis told the Journal.
He’s also scary fast.
“You’re fighting, you’re fighting, you’re fighting, and then it’s like, ‘Where’d he go?’” American Robby Smith described.
A historic win streak, unheard of dominance (without any shenanigans), and the fact that López was basically retired when he decided to abruptly chase history? Those all lend to the legend of “El Terrible.”
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