ACOSTA FERNANDEZ Yasmani

General
FROM CUBA TO CHILE
Born in Cuba, he took a trip to Chile in 2015 and decided not to return to the Caribbean island. He had been frustrated by a lack of opportunities to represent Cuba as he competed in the same category as Mijain Lopez, who won gold at the Olympic Games in 2008, 2012, and 2016, and is also a five-time world champion. He began representing Chile in 2017, and was granted full Chilean citizenship the following year. "I didn't go to the Olympic Games because they only sent one wrestler per country and category and there was Mijain. He is the best in the world. In Cuba, I was always behind him. I trained with him every day for nine years. I really appreciate him. But you have to understand the circumstances. I cried watching the Olympics, because I saw that there were many [athletes] whom I have already beaten. I left Cuba to achieve a dream. When someone leaves something to follow a dream he's not a defector. I love Cuba so much, as well as Chile." (Facebook page, 25 Jan 2021; tokyo2020.org, 17 Sep 2020; alairelibre.cl, 13 Aug 2020; t13.cl, 09 Feb 2018; economiaynegocios.cl, 23 Aug 2017)

He became the first wrestler representing Chile to win a medal at the world championships by claiming bronze in the Greco-Roman 130kg category at the 2017 edition of the tournament in Paris, France. (SportsDeskOnline, 16 Feb 2021; tokyo2020.org, 17 Sep 2020)