Cuba's ongoing loss of its sporting talents continues. Yipsi Moreno, a former Olympic and World champion for hammer throw, appeared in Albanian vest in June for the European Team Championships and qualified for the World Champs for the Balkan nation. The 44-year-old legendary thrower made a comeback to the circle after an 11-year hiatus and broke several Albanian records, which had stood at 59.26 since 2002. She competed in the European Team Champs 2nd League competition in June, then ranked fourth at the Balkan Championships in Volos, missing the medal by 47 centimetres. Moreno established her latest Albanian record in Volos by 68.74m effort.
According to Cuban media reports, she moved to the small Albanian city of Belsh with her husband and son in 2024. She applied for citizenship in 2025 and obtained a new passport with a super-quick process within days.
Whereas she was a high commissioner of Cuban Sport for several years until 2023, the year she was sacked by the Sports Ministry. Despite serving the sport in Cuba as an athlete, politician and official for years, she left the country with a broken heart. She is an enormous sample for growing Cuban high-calibre escapes in recent years due to financial issues. Many Cuban athletes from different sports have harshly criticised the country's sports authorities for failures of funding and mismanagement.
Yipsi Moreno will make her eighth World Championships appearance in Tokyo's Olympic Stadium and first since 2013.
