World judo champion Yurisel Laborde disappeared in Miami after winning a gold in the Pan American Championships last week. The Cuban athlete left a note of explanation and took all her belongings with her. (We imagine that’s a short note: “Guess. Later!”)

(We suspect she can take care of herself)

She stood to be an Olympic favorite in Beijing this summer. It’s not clear how this will affect her ability to attend the Olympics for any country. While it is still possible Laborde could rejoin the team and head back to Cuba Monday, it seems terribly unlikely.

According to the head of USA Judo, ‘‘we have a specific protocol for who we contact and how we go about it in these situations.” We personally hope we never have to work in a job where missing persons procedures are common.

It is awfully kind of Cuba to continue its delivery service of athletes to the American mainland after so many years of forcing them to travel through other lands, making them suspiciously ripe upon arrival. (We’ll speak louder so you can hear us, José Contreras.) After all, this does follow the sudden departure of seven young Cuban soccer players after a trip to Tampa in March.

Honestly, Cuban officials, only sign up your players for tournaments in North Dakota in January. That ought to put your athletes off their wanderlust quickly.

On the other side, American officials must be thrilled to slowly disarm Cuba’s clear kicking advantage, making life safe for American shins once again.