Cuban Athletes Set to Compete Under Different Flags in Paris

There is no doubt that when a Cuban athlete stands atop the podium, sees their flag rise, and hears the anthem of Bayamo play, it is an unparalleled and emotional moment—not just for sports enthusiasts, but for everyone who feels Cuban. In the past, just a few years ago, this was the ultimate goal after a period of hard work and dedication aimed at competing in a World Championship, the Olympic Games, or another significant event.

However, times have changed. While some may hurl insults and words like “betrayal” and “forgetting decades of instilled values,” others—fortunately, the majority—celebrate the triumphs of our athletes, no matter where they are. The eras of Figuerola and Juantorena, Pedro Chappé and Jabao Herrera, Pérez Vento and Diago, Teófilo and Horta are not the current times. This is not just a Cuban issue; it's a global phenomenon. European football teams are filled with excellent African players, Latin blood energizes Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian sports, and even the always powerful U.S. team has welcomed athletes from other nations to strengthen their weaker disciplines.

Many have asked me how many Cuban athletes will travel to Paris under different flags. While I cannot name them all, here are a few who will be competing, even if the anthem of Bayamo doesn’t resound when they win. Starting with the triple jumpers, up to seven exponents from the Cuban triple jump school might participate in the Olympic final: Tokyo's champion, Pedro Pablo Pichardo for Portugal; Jordan Díaz, who just won the European Championship for Spain with a mark of 18.18 meters; Andy Díaz, winner of the last two editions of the Diamond League competing for Italy; and veteran Alexis Copello, who is yet to achieve the minimum mark for the five-ring event but hopes to do so at the upcoming meet on the 23rd. Cuba will be represented by Lázaro Martínez and Christian Atanay Nápoles, and Andy Hechevarría is still in the running for qualification. Although Copello’s chances are slim, they are not impossible.

Sprinter Arialis Gandulla, now representing Portugal, finished fifth at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul 2023. Javelin thrower Yulenmis Aguilar will compete for Spain, and experienced hurdler Yasmani Copello, third in the 400 hurdles at Rio 2016, will represent Turkey. Copello, having achieved the Olympic mark at the last World Championships in Budapest, told this reporter that his strategy and that of his coach is to compete minimally: “I ran with a heavy load, but I expect to have another phenomenal year in Paris,” said the experienced hurdler, who was not wanted in Cuba.

In boxing, while Cuba does not have a complete squad—only five out of seven boxers qualified and no women in their delegation—five other Cubans will compete under different flags, potentially facing off against fellow Cubans in various divisions. Habanero Enmanuel Reyes, a spectacle in the ring, will represent Spain, while Matancero Javier Ibáñez will compete for Bulgaria, both having had recent successful appearances in Madrid. Reyes Pla defeated Uzbek Abdullaev Shohjahon by unanimous decision in the 91-kilo category, while Spanish José Quiles defeated Ibáñez, now Bulgarian, by split decision to claim the IBA European Championship Belt.

Reyes is known for his rivalry with Julio César La Cruz at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Ibáñez, 26, emigrated with a youth world championship crown in 2014, coincidentally in Bulgaria, the country he now represents, and another gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China. Another absent from the Cuban team is Pinar del Río native Loremberto Alfonso. Approximately 26 coaches will also attend Paris, either through their own efforts or via Cubadeportes (the minority), coaching foreign boxers. Among them are Ernesto Aroche and Esteban Cuéllar, who will guide their Spanish pupils; Mariano González and Humberto Orta for France; Joel Soler for Bulgaria; Pedro Roque for Azerbaijan; Pedro Granados and José Luis Frómeta for Serbia. In China, there are three: Raúl Fernández, Julián Ricardo Cedeño, and Olympic champion Maikro Romero. Moroccan boxers are trained by Juan Carlos Maestre. In our continent, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Colombia have Cuban coaches for boxing. Athletes and coaches have left in search of better opportunities they cannot find in their own country, and the numbers continue to grow, supported by family and friends. In Uzbekistan, two trainers hired by Cubadeportes, Enrique Steyners and Julio Lee, are working.

When it comes to coaches, track and field have several: Iván Pedroso and Alexander Navas in Spain; Yansen Pérez in the Dominican Republic, and several in India. In wrestling, Cuban gladiators will also compete under different flags. Néstor Almanza Jr. in the 67-kilo category and Yasmani Acosta in the 130-kilo category, both in the classical style, will represent Chile. And if we talk about potential champions and medalists, we must mention volleyball where Wilfredo “El Rey” León leads the top team, Poland; Yoandy Leal does the same for Brazil, and Melissa Vargas, the best player of 2023, represents Turkey. In weightlifting, Oscar Reyes, one of the favorites in the 81-kilo category, represents Italy, and other sports like athletics, boxing, and canoeing also feature Cuban athletes.

In Tokyo, the Cuban presence from the island was reduced: 69 athletes plus 22 who competed for other flags and many who competed for the United States with Cuban roots. Finally, canoeist Fernando Dayán and weightlifter Ramiro Mora are part of the Olympic Refugee Team for the summer games. Dayán Jorge, along with Serguey Torres, is the Olympic champion of Tokyo in the C2 1000 meters, continental champion in Lima 2019, and multi-medalist at world championships. The weightlifter resumed his practice in England after several years away from the sport and a stint in the circus. Many have questioned their presence in a team meant to be the only option for athletes not supported by their home countries, but the concept of refugees is much broader.

A refugee is defined as someone “who is outside their country of origin due to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion; or due to events seriously disturbing public order like disasters, wars, or natural catastrophes, and who cannot or does not want to seek protection from their country to return.”

It’s quite clear: to be part of a Cuban national team in any discipline, one must align with the prevailing ideology. Disagreeing means you don’t compete. So why are some upset? I believe that the discus throwers Denia Caballero and Yaimé Pérez Téllez could have been admitted as well.

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are shaping up to break the record for Cuban-born athletes competing under other countries' flags, many with strong medal prospects. Ultimately, the world is one’s country; “homeland is humanity,” as Martí said, and a Cuban remains Cuban regardless of the colors they compete under. I wish all Cubans success in Paris, whether they are here, there, or anywhere.