Three Cuban canoeists separated from the national canoeing delegation in Montreal, Canada, less than two weeks before the start of the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo 2026, as revealed by Cubalite based on a source close to the team, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The athletes who are said to have left the delegation are Madelen Heredia Domínguez, Lismary Bombino Rasúa, and Anthony Lamadrid Cabrera, members of a group of 12 canoeists who were participating in the III World Cup of the sport and were supposed to compete later in the Pan American Championship, held from July 13 to 15 in the same Canadian city.
Two left without competing, one waited to finish their trials
Heredia and Bombino parted ways with the team before participating in any trials, leaving Cuba without representation in the women's four-person kayak event at 500 meters.
Lamadrid, on the other hand, did compete in the World Cup: he finished seventh in semifinal 3 of the K4-500 meters and sixth in heat 2 of the K1-500 meters before parting ways with the delegation.
The rest of the team, led by Olympic medalist Yarisleidis Cirilo and canoeist José Ramón Pelier, remained in Canada to continue their training for Santo Domingo 2026.
The government celebrated medals and hushed the casualties
Granma, the official organ of the Communist Party, published on July 13 a report on the team's results in Montreal - where Pelier won silver in C1-5000 meters and Cirilo bronze in C1-200 meters - without mentioning at any point the departure of the three kayakers.
In that same chronicle, the state media noted that the return to Cuba was scheduled for July 16, "when the final phase of training will begin in preparation for the multidisciplinary event in Santo Domingo."
The journey of the three athletes who left
Heredia, a native of Guantánamo and currently residing in Matanzas, participated in the 2021 Junior Pan American Games in Cali-Valle and the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
In August 2022, I had already traveled to Canada for the qualifier leading up to that event.
Bombino, from Cienfuegos, won two bronze medals at the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, in the K2-500 meters and K4-500 meters events.
Lamadrid, from Villa Clara, also participated in Asunción 2025 and was part of the runner-up team in the men's K4-500 meters.
A trend that doesn't stop
The abandonment of Cuban sports delegations abroad has become a recurring phenomenon, driven by the crisis facing the island: prolonged blackouts, rampant inflation, and the regime's inability to ensure minimum living conditions for its athletes.
In May 2026, two Cuban boxers abandoned the delegation during a stopover in Spain while the team was traveling to Germany.
In 2025, at least four Cuban athletes left their delegation at the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, a number that increased to six before the event concluded.
Since 2022, more than 100 athletes per year have left delegations or breached contracts abroad, and in the last decade, over 1,000 athletes have departed from official contingents.
Cuba arrives in Santo Domingo with the largest delegation in its recent history
The losses in canoeing come at a delicate moment.
The regime registered a delegation of 504 athletes for the Central American Games -the largest in its recent history- with the goal of placing among the top three in the medal standings and winning around 68 gold medals.
Canoeing was one of the disciplines expected to bring home medals, featuring athletes of Olympic caliber among its ranks.
The specialty tests in Santo Domingo 2026 are scheduled from August 5 to 7 at the Rincón Dam Rowing and Canoeing Center in Bonao, part of a Games that kick off on July 24.
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