Cuban weightlifters leave national team in Mexico

Two Cuban weightlifters, Yeniuska Mirabal and Yorelvis Machado, have left their national team in Tepic, Mexico, ahead of the second Pan American weightlifting qualifier for the Lima 2027 Pan American Games.

Mirabal, a 77 kg lifter with previous success in Russia, and Machado, an 88 kg lifter who recently won bronze at the Central American and Caribbean Games, departed the group before their scheduled competition. Their absence reduced the Cuban delegation to four members.

While the remaining athletes achieved several medals, including two golds for Marifélix Sarría, Cuban officials and state media have not issued formal statements regarding the departures of Mirabal and Machado. This incident follows a trend of Cuban athletes leaving their national teams while competing abroad.