Sports Desk, Aug 6 (EFE).- Cuban wrestler Mijaín López made history on Tuesday by becoming the first athlete to win a fifth consecutive gold medal in the same event at the Olympics.
López, close to his 42 years old, was declared the winner in Greco-Roman wrestling (130 kg category) by defeating the Chilean of Cuban origin Yasmani Acosta 6-0, a former training partner and friend.
The wrestler received enthusiastic support from the crowd at the Arena Champs de Mars, which welcomed him with a loud ovation repeatedly chanting “López, López,” eager to witness the setting of an historic record that will likely endure for a long time.
The “Giant of Herradura,” as he is known in Cuba for the small town in Pinar del Río province where he is from, concluded a brilliant competition on Tuesday after nearly three years without competing since the Tokyo Games, held in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.
Meanwhile, American runner Gabrielle Thomas was unrivaled in the 200m final, winning gold with a time of 21.83 seconds and surprising St Lucia’s Julien Alfred, the 100m champion in Paris and a double Olympic gold medallist.
And Canadian Camryn Rogers, ranked number one in the world, won the Olympic gold medal in the women’s hammer throw with a mark of 76.97 meters after a closely contested competition with many lead changes.
The silver medal went to American Annette Echikunwoke with 75.48 meters, and the bronze to Chinese athlete Jie Zhao, who threw 74.27 meters.
Olympic and world record holder Polish Anita Włodarczyk settled for fourth place with 74.23 meters.
In another discipline, Greek Miltiadis Tentoglou kept his Olympic long jump title from three years ago in Tokyo by securing gold by jumping 8.48m.
Tentoglou was joined on the podium by Jamaican Wayne Pinnock (8.36m) and 19-year-old Italian prodigy Mattia Furlani (8.34m).
Frenchman Kauli Vaast and American Caroline Marks were crowned gold medallists in the Paris 2024 Olympic Surfing competition on Monday at the iconic Tahitian beach of Teahupo’o after the surfing competition had to be extended to the last available day due to weather delays.
The United States remains ahead in the medal standings with 24 golds, China follows with 22, while Australia is in third place with 14. EFE
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