Chronicle of an unfinished dialogue
- Iván
- Jun 26, 2022
- 2 min read
Finding him was not a stroke of luck. For a long time, I had been planning our rapprochement. He certainly had no idea how much I wanted to meet him. I proposed a brief sparring, but from the dialogue, the only space where I can match the fight. I did not want to suffer the same destiny of those who have had him as a rival. I was determined to emerge victorious from this duel.
And I made it, but not before avoiding a few 'linguistic' jolts and tackles. Mijaín López Núñez -just mentioning his name makes my legs go slack- is a simple, caring, small-town man. I can think of no possible adjective to describe his sporting greatness. That is why I only proposed to call him champion.
If there's one thing the native of the westernmost Cuban province has plenty of, it's titles. He has to his credit all those awarded by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling (seven world titles, of which FIVE! are gold) and FOUR! Olympic awards in a row. These achievements make him the most successful wrestler in his sport in Cuba, and one of the few in the world with a similar number of gold medals.
The "Herradura's Giant" inspires respect and admiration among his rivals. Staying at the top for so long takes a high dose of preparation and dedication. It is not for nothing that it is almost impossible to score points against him in official tournaments. Not to mention beating him. The last one to achieve such a complex feat was the Turkish Riza Kayaalp. A success that has paid dearly when they have faced each other again.
We talked about many topics. His physical and sporting fitness and possible participation in another olympic games edition. It does not seem easy at all to reach Paris 2024 in optimal conditions and with a little more than four decades old. Mijaín does not like defeats, and that is why if he does not feel ready for such a complex scenario he will not choose to fight.
In the most recent update of the world rankings published by the governing body of Greco-Roman wrestling in the world, the Cuban multi-medalist is placed fourth, an unusual position for someone of his talents, but due to his limited participation in high-level tournaments. Injuries must be avoided and preserved.
His inclusion among the most select of the Cuban sports movement is the recognition of a people that sweats with him, grips his prey tightly on the tapestry and feels palpitations when his champion lineage is imposed.
The regulation minutes were about to expire. It was a brief but interesting dialogue. He was able to dodge my attempts to 'take him off the mat'. I could only manage the time so as not to know I was defeated. The "bell" rang. The Chronos God decreed a technical draw. Thank you, champion, for this unfinished conversation.
Comments