On Monday, four-time Olympic champion Mijaín López thanked the conversation with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, after reaching the final of the 130 kilograms in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Havana, Cuba.- At the end of the phone dialogue with the president, López said, “Thank you for your call,” as Jit Cuban daily posted on X.

“Take the title for granted tomorrow, it’ll be for Cuba,” Mijaín assured Díaz-Canel. The Cuban wrestler will fight this Tuesday for his fifth crown in the Olympics, after defeating the Azeri Sabah Shariati in the semifinals. Shariati is the leader of the world ranking in 2024.

The living legend of Greco-Roman wrestling scored an off-balance in the first half against Shariati to take a 3-0 lead, and in the second, with a counter-attack, he scored another to win 4-1.

Mijaín will face Cuban-nationalized Chilean Yasmani Acosta, who beat China's Lingzhe Meng in the other semifinal.

The five-time world champion also stated that he has always fulfilled his promises to the Cuban people about his commitment to reach his fifth consecutive Olympic final.

“I know that in Cuba everyone is in front of the TV, there is only one step left to dance a little more,” he commented during an exchange with accredited journalists at the Olympics.

“I am happy to be able to fight here for my fifth gold medal and to be able to give joy to the people of Cuba,” he revealed.

López also said that his 3-1 win over Iran's Amin Mirzazadeh in his second bout was a big hurdle on his way to the gold medal.

Mirzazadeh, the reigning world champion, was considered the main contender for the gold medal and for the native from Herradura, in the western province of Pinar del Rio. It was an early final.

"He is a young man who came inspired, with the desire to impose himself and win the title; but between youth and experience, experience always prevails," stressed the legendary Cuban wrestler. (PL)