Chilean Wrestler Reveals How Cuban Yasmani Acosta Stayed in Chile: "I Hid Him in a Motel"

In 2015, athlete Yasmani Acosta (born in Matanzas, 1987), a silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Paris Olympics, decided to defect from the Cuban delegation during the Pan American Games in Chile. His escape was facilitated by Chilean wrestler Andrés Ayub, with whom Acosta remains good friends to this day.

The plan was hatched during a gym conversation when Acosta, who had traveled to Chile alongside five-time Olympic champion Mijaín López, asked Ayub about job opportunities in Chile. According to Ayub’s account to El Deportivo, he told Acosta that if he wanted to stay, he could count on his help.

At that time, Acosta, who later represented Chile in Paris, was nervous. He competed and lost to a Dominican wrestler but fulfilled his commitment to secure the spot, unlike other Cubans who often flee before the competition, Ayub explains.

The Escape Plan

Ayub recalls that the situation was complex because he had to hide Yasmani Acosta. He chose the Marín 014 Motel, known for its themed rooms. "We both entered; imagine their faces when they saw us... I gave him some money, some food, and the next day I picked him up. Then, we took him to a friend's house," Ayub recalls.

Those first years were particularly difficult for Acosta, as he could not return to Cuba for five years, although later he found out it was three. He missed his family and was plagued by uncertainty about whether he had made the right decision. "I'm very homey. I'm not one to go out, and I suffered a lot," he said in an interview with Cooperativa FM, referring to his separation from his family.

To help him cope with the nostalgia, Acosta's Chilean friends, including Ayub, invited him to all family celebrations. Later, the Cuban met his girlfriend, Rommina Sepúlveda, born in Sweden but raised in Chile. According to the Chilean media En Cancha, they met on Tinder, and she bought a ticket for him to visit her. The couple has been together for eight years and lives in Valparaíso.

Andrés Ayub also assisted Acosta with the paperwork for the authorities. However, Acosta spent two years without training, working as a security guard until he secured residency at the Olympic Center of Chile. From that moment, his life changed. He resumed his athletic success, culminating in Paris.

The Road to Success

In statements to the Chilean press, Ayub recalled that he had a similar experience to Acosta, who fought the final against his friend and mentor, Mijaín López. "We’ll see each other in the final," Ayub had told López in Toronto, just as Acosta did in Paris.

For Ayub, the gold medal match between Yasmani Acosta and Mijaín López was "the perfect final" sought by the Cuban-turned-Chilean, and he believes that if Acosta avoids injuries and stays in shape, he can aim for gold in Los Angeles 2028.

Nevertheless, the silver medal won in Paris compensates for the fifth place and the Olympic diploma earned in Tokyo, which had left Acosta unsatisfied. In an interview, he confessed that Tokyo still hurt because he felt the referees did not favor him in the bronze match. This time, he worked hard to ensure his victory did not depend on a third party's judgment.

Chile was eagerly awaiting the Olympic medal that Yasmani Acosta could bring home. The Chilean president, Gabriel Boric, sent a message on social media to the Cuban-born wrestler before his historic match against Mijaín López. After winning the medal, Boric wrote, "Tremendous Yasmani in Paris 2024! Thank you for your silver medal for Chile in Greco-Roman wrestling. We know of your effort and hard work to get where you are. Congratulations, champ!"

On March 25, 2024, Yasmani Acosta informed his Instagram followers about the start of "the most important and toughest preparation" for the Paris Olympics. Almost five months ago, he wrote that he planned to be away from Chile for several weeks, training at the highest level for the "final battle." This effort earned him an Olympic silver medal for his adopted country and marked a significant milestone in his challenging athletic career.