{"id":309005,"date":"2024-09-06T10:24:46","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T14:24:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=309005"},"modified":"2024-09-06T10:24:46","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T14:24:46","slug":"echoes-of-paris-2024-mijain-lopezs-21-consecutive-victories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/sports\/echoes-of-paris-2024-mijain-lopezs-21-consecutive-victories\/","title":{"rendered":"Echoes of Paris 2024: Mija\u00edn L\u00f3pez\u2019s 21 consecutive victories"},"content":{"rendered":"

Perhaps the new generations are not clear about it, but <\/span>Mija\u00edn L\u00f3pez<\/b><\/a> lost once at the Olympic Games. It is a memory as distant as it is transcendent in the career of the Cuban, who 20 years after that defeat at Athens 2004 became the first and only athlete with five summer crowns in the same individual event, linking a spectacular chain of 21 consecutive victories in the concert under the five rings.<\/span><\/p>\n

To put things into perspective, Aleksandr Karelin, considered by many to be the best and most feared wrestler of all time, \u201conly\u201d won three Olympic titles in a row (1988, 1992, and 1996) and achieved a streak of 18 consecutive victories, until the American Rulon Gardner dethroned him in Sydney 2000.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mija\u00edn began his streak precisely in Athens, shortly after losing to Khasan Baroev in the quarterfinals. That was a tough fight for the Cuban, who only 20 seconds after starting found himself behind on the scoreboard due to a back pass from the Russian, who widened the gap with two unbalances that were close to not being completed. In the second set, everything turned out worse, as Baroev took the lead, defending his position on the ground, and then disarmed the athlete from Pinar del R\u00edo with lethal attacks.<\/span><\/p>\n