Ismael Borrero, who won wrestling gold for Cuba at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has defected.
He was in Mexico with the rest of the Cuban delegation preparing for the Pan-American Wrestling Championships, when he disappeared in what was later described as a serious indiscipline within the Cuban sports system. His current whereabouts are not known.
Borrero, 30, is one of Cuba’s top Greco-Roman wrestlers. In addition to Olympic gold, he won the World Championship title in 2015 and 2019, and was named Sports Personality of the Year a few months later.
He endured a difficult time in Tokyo last year, where he failed to defend his Olympic title. His preparations had been seriously affected after he contracted COVID-19 twice. He lost his second-round bout to a much lower ranked opponent.
The Cuban team were hoping he would bounce back at the Championships, currently held in Acapulco. Now they have to reconcile themselves to the fact that he will not be on the plane home with them.
Borrero is by no means the first Cuban athlete to make such a move, although recent months have seen a series of defections. Sailors Iris Laura Manso and Carlos Miguel Expósito fled to the United States in March, while long jumper Lester Lescay abandoned the delegation during a meet in Spain.
Cuba has been suffering a prolonged economic crisis. Last July, thousands of people took to the streets to protest over food and medicine shortage and price increase as well as the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic by the Cuban authorities.
The government responded by initiating a crackdown. They arrested hundreds, with suspects charged with crimes ranging from sedition to vandalism, theft and public disorder.
Baseball, which is very popular in Cuba, has become particularly susceptible to defections over the years. A number of high-profile players chose to make a better life for themselves in the USA. Last year, infielder Cèsar Prieto was the latest to make such a move after arriving in Florida to take part in a training camp, ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.