Mijaín López

Mijaín López Núñez ( born August 20, 1982 in Consolation del Sur, Pinar del Río ) is a Cuban wrestler. He is a two -time Olympic champion (2008 and 2012 ) and four -time World Champion (2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010) in Greco-Roman wrestling in the heavyweight division

Career

Mijaín López Núñez began at the age of 11 years in 1993 with the rings. He concentrated on the Greco- Roman style. He is a member of the sports club Cerro Pelado Havana and his trainer is Pedro Val The 1.95 meter tall athlete wrestles in the heaviest weight class since 2002 at 120 kg weight limit has her body weight. He is a physical education teacher.

The international career of Mijaín López began in 1999. He started here at the Junior World Championships in Bucharest, but came in the light heavyweight only on the 9th Place. Not much better he fared at the Junior World Championship 2000 in Nantes. He came there, again struggling light heavyweight, on the 8th Place. In 2001, he first participated in a World Championship with the seniors. In Patras, he came here in the heavyweight division after two won fights and one defeat in the 3rd fight against Xenophon Koutsioubas from Greece on the 6th Place.

In 2001, he won his first international title. He was born in Maracaibo winner. At the Pan American Championships before the Americans Dremiel Byers, with whom he would still often cross swords in the following years In 2002 he started for the first time at the Grand Prix of Germany in Dortmund and won there before Eddy Bengtsson from Sweden. At this tournament, he still took more then ever victorious, part three times. At the World Championships in Moscow, he still had to pay dearly, because he lost there in his first fight against Yuri Patrikeyev, who started at that time for Russia and came despite a victory in his next fight on Sergei Mureiko from Bulgaria only to 13th place.

2003 lost Mijaín López at the Pan American Championships in Guatemala City in the final against Dremiel Byers, but won little later at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo before the Olympic champion from 2000 Rulon Gardner of the United States. At the World Championships this year in Creteil but he was not very successful again. He won in Creteil via Miriani Giorgadze from Georgia, but lost his next fight against Juha Ahokas of Finland and ended up with it on the 16th Place.

In 2004, he managed with a tournament victory in Novi Sad qualification for the Olympic Games in Athens and was back in Guatemala City, Pan American champion before Ross Davie from the United States. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens he won the heavyweight about Juri Ewseitschik from Israel and Yekta Yilmaz Gul of Turkey and then lost against Chassan Barojew from Russia, which was in the following years to its main competitors. With a win over Yannick Szczepaniak of France he came afterwards only on the 5th Place.

Starting in 2005, then began a winning streak that lasted until the year 2012 for Mijaín López. In any international championship in which he participated, he won, or finished at least 2nd place. He was the 2008 Beijing Olympic champion, defeating fight for victory Chassan Barojew clear rounds 2-0 and 6-1 points. In 2012 he repeated in London Olympic victory. In the semifinals, he defeated while the world champion of 2011 Riza Kayaalp from Turkey and in the final Heiki Nabi of Estonia.

At the World Championships he recorded the following achievements: 2005 Budapest, world champion with a victory in the finals over Mihaly Deak Bardos of Hungary, 2006 in Guangzhou / China, Vice - World Champion after a surprisingly high defeat in the final against Chassan Barojew (0-2 rounds, 00:13 points ), 2007 world champion in Baku with a narrow victory in the final over Chassan Barojew (2-0 rounds, 2-2 points ), 2009 in Herning / Denmark world Cup with a win in the final over Dremiel Byers, 2010 in Moscow, world champion with a victory in the finals over the starting now for Armenia Yuri Patrikeyev and 2011, vice - world champion after one defeat in the final against Riza Kayaalp (0-2 rounds, 0-4 points).

In addition, he was still Pan American Champion in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2012 and winner at the Pan American Games in 2007 and 2011.

In 2012 Mijaín López Núñez is only 30 years old, one can only wonder whether he will continue his career after his second Olympic gold medal.

International success

Notes

• All competitions in Greco-Roman wrestling
• OS = The Olympic Games, WM = World Cup
• Light Heavyweight until 2001-97 kg heavyweight, and 2001 up to 130 kg, since 2002 up to 120 kg body weight

Swell

• Journal The Ringer
• Website " Foeldeak Wrestling Database "
• Website " www.themat.com "