For some athletes, the Olympics aren’t just a chance to compete — they’re an opportunity to defect

The defecting players left the hotel, bought a cellphone, contacted a lawyer and celebrated with a Cuban meal, the Miami Herald reported, according to ESPN. “We’re fine, calm, feeling hopeful about our new lives,” player Yenier Bermúdez told the Herald. “Of course, we’re nervous because we’re young, have no family here, and we don’t yet know the way of life here, but we hope the Cuban and American communities will help us get started.”