Pérez and Yiselena Ballar Rojas - a world under-20 javelin bronze medallist last year - plus a physiotherapist left Cuba's delegation in the United States, the National Institute of Sports has confirmed.

Pérez placed seventh in the women's discus final in Eugene, whereas Ballar Rojas absconded before her event.

At last year's Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Pérez threw 65.72 metres to claim the bronze medal.

Now 31, Pérez has a personal best of 69.39m and won world and Pan American Games titles in 2019. 

Olympic wrestling gold medallist Ismael Borrero and Tokyo 2020 canoe sprint champion Fernando Jorge both defected from Cuba earlier this year.

Tokyo 2020 boxing gold medallist Andy Cruz was also caught trying to escape the island nation last month, according to the Cuban Boxing Federation.

An economic crisis in Cuba has been cited as the reason for a recent uptick in defections.

Professional sport was banned in Cuba in 1962, but such restrictions have gradually been eased - first through incentives for athletes - in an attempt to stem the flow of defections.

Hundreds of Cuban athletes have defected since the ban was introduced to seek riches and a better life overseas. 

In 2013, Cuba's Government lifted a ban on athletes being paid to play for teams from outside the country, but they still have to pay Cuban taxes and fulfil other obligations.

Choosing to defect means Cuban athletes have more freedom upon leaving the nation, while it remains illegal for American entities to do businesses with Cuba under a longstanding economic embargo - so any athlete wanting to live in the United States must defect.