Cuban Mijan Lopez Nunez has become the first male wrestler to win four Olympic gold medals on Monday night while Germany's Aline Rotter-Focken is the first German woman to win a wrestling title at a Games.
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The 38-year-old Lopez, who carried the Cuban flag at the opening ceremony for the third Games in a row, defeated Georgian Iakobi Kajaia 5-0 in the 130kg Greco-Roman final in Tokyo.
He already triumphed at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Games. He has also been world champion five times.
"I feel happy, proud to be the best in the world and make history. I've had a long career, working hard to make these goals and break this record," he told reporters.
"I've been working so hard to get to this point. Being able to break this record today for me is a great achievement, because I've faced the best and I can be proud."
Lopez's success means he now outstrips Russian Alexander Karelin, who won gold three times and silver once between 1988 and 2000.
The Cuban, who also won a silver in the 120kg category at Athens 2004, would not rule out fighting at Paris 2024 when he will be 41.
It was a good day for Cuba in the ring with Luis Alberto Orta Sanchez surprising two-time world champion Kenichiro Fumita of Japan to easily win 60kg gold.
It was also a historic day for Germany.
In the last competition of her career, Rotter-Focken beat American five-times world champion Adeline Gray in the 76 kilogram freestyle class for gold.
The 30-year-old German was 2014 world champion.
The last German to win Olympic gold in the wrestling ring was Maik Bullmann, who triumphed in 1992 in Barcelona.
"It doesn't get any better than this. It feels totally unreal. I've worked and dreamed about it every day of my life for the last few years," Rotter-Focken said.
"Right now it hasn't even sunk in. I think I'll be living off this moment for years to come."
Australian Associated Press
