The 25-year-old Cuban-born Spanish track and field athlete claimed the silver medal in the men’s 110m hurdles at the 2016 Rio Games, giving Spain its first ever Olympic medal in the category.
Ortega, a naturalized Spaniard, finished the race in a time of 13.17, .12 seconds shy of Jamaica’s Omar McLeod, who came into the race as the favorite.
France’s Dimitri Bascou took home the bronze with a time of 13.24.
Until he crossed the finish line, Ortega had no idea what position he occupied on the track. His had to overcome a rough start, but made up for it down the stretch.
Ortega improved on his previous Olympic performance, when he finished sixth while representing his native Cuba at the 2012 London Games.
During the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, he defected from Cuba.
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