According to Cubalite, three Cuban judokas—Jonathan Charón, Lianet Cardona, and Dayanara Curbelo—have reportedly left their national team after participating in the Pan American Open held in Florida, USA. During the competition, they secured one gold and two silver medals. This information comes from a source close to the national team.
The athletes were key figures in their respective weight classes and were scheduled to compete in the upcoming Pan American Open in Montreal, Canada. Their departure followed a tournament where all six Cuban representatives reached the finals.
Charón clinched the gold in the 60-kilogram category by defeating Brazil's Michel Augusto. Cardona earned a silver medal in the 78-kilogram division, losing to Venezuela's Elvismar Rodríguez, while Curbelo also took silver in the over 78-kilogram category, falling to Venezuela's Karen León.
Other Cuban champions included Orlando Polanco, Iván Felipe Silva, and Andy Granda.
Infobae reported, citing Cuban coach Alain Fernández, that Cardona and Curbelo left the team on Tuesday, with Charón's departure being reported the following day by Cubalite.
Curbelo, a 21-year-old from Artemisa, was the flag bearer for Cuba at the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción 2025, where she won the country's only judo gold. Cardona, a 22-year-old from Santiago, claimed a bronze at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo 2026. Charón, also 22, has a track record of four consecutive continental podium finishes, including bronze in 2023 and 2024, silver in 2025, and gold in 2026, alongside a bronze at the 2025 Tbilisi Grand Slam.
Their exits come just days after Yusneylis Guzmán López, an Olympic silver medalist in freestyle wrestling from the 2024 Paris Games, left the Cuban delegation during a stopover in Mexico en route to Brazil.
Coach Fernández expressed his dismay over the ongoing loss of talent, as reported by Infobae: "How long can we continue to lose athletes who have required so much effort and sacrifice to develop?"
The coach attributed these losses to Cuba's challenging economic, political, and social conditions, along with limited resources, insufficient international exposure, and scarce professional opportunities that continue to impact sports on the island.
Even Cuban sports authorities acknowledge that since 2013, over a thousand athletes have defected from official delegations. This exodus was apparent during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Cuba's official delegation secured only nine of the 17 medals won by athletes of Cuban descent—the remaining eight were claimed by those competing for other countries—marking the island's worst official Olympic performance in 52 years.
Insights into the Cuban Sports Exodus
Why are Cuban athletes leaving their national teams?
Cuban athletes are leaving due to economic hardships, limited resources, insufficient international exposure, and lack of professional opportunities. These challenges have made it difficult for athletes to thrive in Cuba.
How has the exodus of athletes impacted Cuban sports?
The departure of athletes has significantly weakened Cuba's performance in international competitions, as evidenced by the poor medal count at the 2024 Paris Olympics, marking the worst official performance in over five decades.
Which athletes recently left the Cuban judo team?
Jonathan Charón, Lianet Cardona, and Dayanara Curbelo are the recent athletes to leave the Cuban judo team after competing in the Pan American Open in Florida.