Don’t tell Mijain Lopez it’s not OK to celebrate following a victory.
The Cuban wrestler won his third straight Olympic title after defeating Riza Kayaalp of Turkey 6-0 in the 130kg final. Not only did Lopez win a gold medal for his performance, but he unleashed a gold-medal-worthy celebration.
#Rio2016's celebrations have been off the charts.
Mijaín López wins, body slams his coach. https://t.co/0lXZ1NzZBV https://t.co/iFCepSCMjL
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 16, 2016
Lopez immediately burst out in dance following the victory, gyrating his hips at the Rio crowd as they cheered on. Lopez is unsurprisingly light on his feet. That’s not the only post-game shenanigans the 33-year-old wrestler got up to. As his coach joined him in celebration for a hug, Lopez twisted back his body and promptly slammed him into the ground. Don’t worry, the coach wasn’t hurt, as he opted to embrace Lopez further following the stunner.
Some might consider Lopez’s actions disrespectful to his opponent, as his dance moves could be viewed as showboating a victory. That’s hogwash. Athletes should be able to show some personality, especially after an Olympic title-winning performance. If you can’t do it at the Olympics, where can you bust out some sweet dance moves moves?
Dance like nobodies watching Lopez, you deserve too.
