Cuban judoka Dayle Ojeda recounts how she defected during the Paris Olympics: "I looked back to see if they were following me."

Cuban judoka Dayle Ojeda provided details of her escape from the Cuban delegation attending the Paris Olympics, just hours before the inauguration.

Dayle, who is in Valencia, Spain, revealed to the newspaper El Mundo that he had considered quitting several times, as he had no options to compete in Cuba and faced many difficulties in training.

"From May 6 to July 26 of this year, I was in Paris helping the judokas from my country who qualified for the Olympic Games, and on the inauguration day, when I arrived at the airport to return to Havana, I separated from the group," he said.

"I was nervous, looking back to see if anyone was following me, I didn't know what would happen. Luckily, some friends picked me up at the airport. After that, I took a bus to Barcelona, stayed there for a few days with a friend, and then I arrived in Valencia, where Ayumi was waiting for me," she specified. She refers to her colleague Ayumi Leiva, who left the Cuban team in 2021 and now lives in Valencia, where she trains in preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Ojeda competes in the category of over 78 kilos, the same as the emblematic Idalys Ortiz, a four-time Olympic medalist, a coincidence that disadvantaged her.

"More athletes travel to the Olympics, but for the rest of the competitions, only the top figures from Cuba go, barely three or four judoists. There were no resources for anything, there was no way to develop a sports career, and I had no means to live. I received a minimum salary that was not enough for essential things, and my parents had to help me. There were only two paths: either leave Cuba or quit sports," he stated.

Despite the limitations in training, the 31-year-old judoka won a silver medal in two editions of the Pan American Open in Varadero, won a National Championship, finished in fourth place in the 2017 Pan American Championship, and competed in the Grand Slams in Paris and Düsseldorf.

Thanks to the help of her compatriot Ayumi, she now trains at the Specialized High-Performance Center (CEAR) in Benimaclet, where she has been able to confirm the high level of Spanish judo, which "is not even comparable to that of Cuba."

"I have only been here for two months, but I feel that I have improved more than ever in my life," he/she pointed out.

Dayle left her mom in Cuba, and although she talks to her, her sister, and her nephews every day, "it's not the same as seeing them in person."

So far, she has not been able to regularize her situation; the naturalization process is not easy, but the sports results could help her. That’s why she is preparing to compete in the Spanish Championship in December, taking advantage of the fact that the national team does not have Olympic or world-class athletes in her weight category. The Valencian Judo Federation offered her a spot in their residence and provides her with financial support.

"Right now my motivation is to work hard to be prepared when my moment arrives. I would love to be able to go to the next Olympic Games and give back to Spain all the support it is giving me," she concluded.