Spanish sprint hurdler Orlando Ortega has announced his retirement from athletics at the age of 34.
The Cuban-born Ortega, who was cleared to compete for Spain just ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games, won silver for his new nation in the 110m hurdles in Rio de Janeiro and bronze at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin.
Ortega completed the set of major outdoor medals at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha in unusual circumstances where he was awarded a retroactive bronze medal despite crossing the line in fifth having been impeded while in contention for a medal.
The latter years of Ortega’s career was ravaged by injuries but he did make one more Spanish team at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome where he made the semifinals in the 110m hurdles.
"I'm saying goodbye to elite competition, but not to my love for this sport. I'm closing this chapter full of unforgettable moments. I'm retiring with my head held high, proud of my athletic career and knowing that I was able to achieve what very few have been able to achieve in athletics," said Ortega in a lengthy post on Instagram.
Ortega sits seventh on the European all-time 110m hurdles list with 13.04 although he did break the 13 second-barrier in his career, clocking 12.94 in Paris in 2015 one year before he was cleared to compete for Spain.