In season opener, Pino puts on a show

Monday, February 6, 2023 - 10:08 By Vinay Siwach

When Oscar PINO (CUB) got to know that he will miss the Belgrade World Championships last year, he was heartbroken. Just four days before the tournament, he fell ill with dengue and lost an opportunity to win a world medal, his first since 2019.

Putting that disappointment aside, he decided to begin 2023 with the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event. He flew to Croatia a month before the competition for training around Europe. On Sunday, he put all the training to test and came out successfully.

Winning the gold medal at 130kg was one thing for Pino but doing it effortlessly gave him the confidence to go all the way at the World Championships in September in Belgrade.

"My wrestling today was good. I trained in Norway and Croatia for a month and this was the result of the good training," he said. "I think I had an amazing competition today. This is my way to get the gold medal at the World Championships."

Pino wrestled four bouts and gave up only one point, in the final for passivity. His four wins included three technical superiorities and a one-sided final against Oskar MARVIK (NOR).

He got par terre against Marvik and then got a full roll for four points. A gut wrench gave him two more as he led 7-0. Marvik got a point in the second period but failed to make the most of it.

"Many wrestlers are in good condition but I am ready," he said. "I go back home and train more because this weight class has good wrestlers so I cannot stop training."

Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) defeated Oskar MARVIK (NOR) 7-1 in the 130kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Overall, he began with an 8-0 win against Temurbek NASIMOV (UZB), maintained the same scoreline in the quarterfinal against Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN) and then did the same to Amir GHASEMIMONJEZI (IRI) in the semifinal.

Pino was also happy that he was able to finish all his bouts before time barring one and would like to continue the momentum throughout the season.

"I wrestle at the Granma y Cerro Pelado tournament in Cuba and then the Pan-Am," he said. "Then the staff decides if we compete at Bishkek or Budapest Ranking Series events and if possible to stay and train there."

Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) managed to beat Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB) 5-3 in the 55kg final. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Iran dominates

Though it would have liked to have a better result at 130kg, Iran would be satisfied with the performance of other Greco-Roman wrestlers as it won three out of six gold medals on Sunday.

Pino, Selcuk CAN (TUR) and Kiril MILOV (BUL) were the only wrestlers to end Iran's domination in the Croatian capital.

At 55kg, U23 world champion Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) held his nerves in a close encounter against Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB), winning the gold medal 5-3.

After getting a takedown, Dad Marz tried to gut wrench Botirov and in one such turn, he got stuck and Botirov put him in danger. But a strong bridge position and defense from Dad Marz saw him throw. He also defended the par terre position in the second period.

Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) dominated his way through to the gold medal at 60kg. (Photo: UWW / Kostadin Andonov)

Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) was far more dominant at 60kg as he defeated Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE) 8-0 in the final after a successful day in which he faced little to no challenge from his opponents.

The Asian Championships silver medalist did go through two strong Japanese wrestlers. In the pre-quarterfinals, he wrestled Kaito INABA (JPN) and faced Maito KAWANA (JPN) in the semifinals. After the bouts, he was surprised by the strength of the young wrestlers.

At 82kg, Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) denied the host country a gold medal as he defeated Filip SACIC (CRO), 3-1, in the final.

In the 72kg final, Can wrestled Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI) and used the par terre position to score an all-important turn and secure the gold medal with a 3-1 win.

He began the 2023 season as he did in 2022, winning a Ranking Series gold medal. But with the World Championships doubling up as the qualifying for the Paris Olympics, Can will have to move down to 67kg to win a spot to Paris.

European champion and World Championships silver medalist Kiril MILOV (BUL) was also at his best, running through a packed field to win the 97kg gold medal.

He began with a 10-1 win against Murat LOKIAYEV (AZE), followed by a blanking of Vinko PRODANOVIC (CRO) before beating Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE) 5-1 in the quarterfinals.

After a walkover in the semifinals, Milov faced an unexpected opponent in Tamas LEVAI (HUN) who had moved up from 77kg in 2021 to 97kg in 15 months.

While he did well to reach the final, Levai was of no competition against Milov who completed a 10-2 win over the Hungarian.

Levai got a challenge wrong to open Milov's account before being called passive. From par terre, Milov used a strong grip to roll him twice. He then got an arm throw four. Levai got Milov in danger in the same sequence but the difference was already eight points, enough for technical superiority.

RESULTS

55kg
GOLD: Poya DAD MARZ (IRI) df. Ikhtiyor BOTIROV (UZB), 5-3

BRONZE: Mohammad JAVAHERI FARID (IRI) df. Denis MIHAI (ROU), 5-0

60kg
GOLD: Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI) df. Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), 8-0

BRONZE: Maito KAWANA (JPN) df. Kaito INABA (JPN), 4-1
BRONZE: Razvan ARNAUT (ROU) df. Krisztian KECSKEMETI (HUN), 7-0

72kg
GOLD: Selcuk CAN (TUR) df. Sajjad IMENTALABFOUMANI (IRI), 3-1

BRONZE: Jamol JUMABAEV (UZB) df. Robert FRITSCH (HUN), 8-0
BRONZE: Ibrahim GHANEM (FRA) df. Jian TAN (CHN), 6-2

82kg
GOLD: Alireza MOHMADIPIANI (IRI) df. Filip SACIC (CRO), 3-1

BRONZE: Pejman POSHTAM (IRI) df. Marcel HEIN (DEN), 8-0
BRONZE: Peter DOEMOEK (HUN) df. Spencer WOODS (USA), 7-2

97kg
GOLD: Kiril MILOV (BUL) df. Tamas LEVAI (HUN), 10-2

BRONZE: Tyrone STERKENBURG (NED) df. Felix BALDAUF (NOR), 5-4
BRONZE: Murat LOKIAYEV (AZE) df. Mihail KAJAIA (SRB), via inj. def.

130kg
GOLD: Oscar PINO (CUB) df. Oskar MARVIK (NOR), 7-1

BRONZE: Lingzhe MENG (CHN) df. Alin ALEXUC CIURARIU (ROU), 3-1
BRONZE: Amir GHASEMI (IRI) df. Matti KUOSMANEN (FIN), 1-1

Five-Time Olympic Champ Lopez Joins China as Greco Coach

Monday, March 30, 2026 - 13:12 By United World Wrestling Press

Mijain LOPEZ, coach Ruis DIAZ, and all members of the Chinese Greco-Roman wrestling team

By Yang Boyi and Wang Chujie for Xinhua News

BEIJING, China (March 30) -- 18 years ago, Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) claimed his first Olympic gold medal in Beijing, launching an unprecedented reign of five consecutive Olympic titles, a feat unmatched in Olympic wrestling history.

Now the 42-year-old Cuban legend has returned to the Chinese capital, not as a competitor, but as a specially recruited foreign coach for China's national Greco-Roman team.

He arrived alongside Raul DIAZ, the lifelong mentor who guided him through the most dominant stretch of his historic career. Both now serve as United World Wrestling (UWW) Development Ambassadors, making this far more than a routine visit.

It is a homecoming to the city where Lopez's legend was forged, and a full-circle moment for two men whose fates have intertwined with Beijing and each other for nearly two decades.

Ruis DIAZ Raul DIAZ (CUB) with the Chinese Greco-Roman national team. (Photo: Xinhua News)

Although Diaz and Lopez first bonded in 1999, their fates did not officially intertwine until after Lopez claimed his maiden Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with Diaz then serving as a coach for the Portuguese national team.

In 2010, Diaz returned as Lopez's full-time head coach, guiding him through the next 14 years and four more consecutive Olympic gold medals from London 2012 to Paris 2024, cementing his status as the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of all time.

The 2024 Paris Olympics marked the final chapter of Lopez's storied career. After clinching his historic fifth title, he knelt to kiss the mat and left his shoes on the canvas - the universal ritual of retirement in wrestling.

"That moment was full of mixed emotions. I was overjoyed with the result, but also overwhelmed with sadness, because I had decided to close the book on my career," Lopez told Xinhua through an interpreter.

"I kissed the wrestling mat to express my gratitude for all the achievements in my wrestling career. This mat and my coach made me the champion I am today. I am thankful for all those days and nights we spent training together."

When asked whether Lopez would have won four more Olympic golds and completed the five-peat without his coaching, Diaz is quick to deflect the credit to his pupil's innate talent and unshakable character.

"Lopez is an exceptional athlete, one of a kind. What makes him great is not just his physical strength, but his mental fortitude," said Diaz. "He competes not for money or fame, but for his love for the Cuban people, wrestling and his family."

"He is family to me," Lopez said of his mentor. "A coach is more than an instructor; he is a guide who walks with you through every critical moment. I hope every athlete can experience this kind of profound connection."

Diaz recalled the words Lopez's father said to him on his deathbed: "Please, be a father to Lopez from now on." Over years of close companionship, the pair have become inseparable.

"I can no longer imagine my life without him," Diaz said.

Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) Reporter interviewing Mijain LOPEZ (center) and Shen SHIYAN (right), Spanish interpreter for the Chinese Greco-Roman team. (Photo: Xinhua News)

Lifetime to Understand China

For both men, China has never been a distant country. For Lopez, Beijing will always be the starting point of his legend. "I have an immense affection for China. It was here that I won my first Olympic gold, the medal that broke the ice and opened a whole new chapter of my career," he said.

Diaz's connection to China stretches back to childhood, with Chinese classmates and family friends. He still remembers the Chinese couple in Havana's Chinatown who always kept a meal warm for him.

"Those simple acts of kindness made me feel a deep closeness to Chinese people from the very beginning," Diaz recalled.

When Lopez stepped onto the mat in Beijing in 2008, Diaz watched with special pride - not just for his former pupil, but for a country he had long felt a bond with.

"The more you learn about China, the more you realize it may take a whole lifetime to truly understand this country," Diaz observed. "Chinese people are kind, honest and down-to-earth. Some countries refuse to see the real China out of prejudice, but there is no better way to know this country than to come here, to see it with your own eyes."

Passing the Torch

Diaz and Lopez have come to Beijing with a clear mission: to pass on decades of experience and training philosophy to help nurture China's next generation of wrestlers.

Zheng PAN (CHN), head coach of China's Greco-Roman team, noted that Diaz prioritizes efficiency in training. "We have more sessions now, but each is shorter. Raul always emphasizes that athletes must give their absolute all in every minute."

Diaz is full of praise for China's young wrestlers, citing their strength, speed, discipline, intelligence and work ethic. "The most important thing is to train with purpose and focus. Chinese wrestlers have every ability to compete with the top athletes in the world."

Lopez echoed his coach's optimism. "These young wrestlers have a bright future. We are here to give them that extra push, to help them stand firm on the world stage."

18 years ago, Lopez arrived in Beijing as a rising talent and left as an Olympic champion. Now they have returned together as legends, ready to pass on the torch and write a new chapter in the decades-long friendship between Cuban and Chinese wrestling.

In November 2025, Diaz received the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award. Standing beside him to share the honor was his star pupil. "That moment felt like a dream," Diaz said. "I want to give all my love for wrestling, my knowledge, and everything I have to this sport."

In season opener, Pino puts on a show

Comments

Five-Time Olympic Champ Lopez Joins China as Greco Coach