The Spanish Orlando Ortega, current Olympic runner-up of 110 meters hurdles, thanked the support he is receiving after announcing that he will not be able to participate in the Tokyo Games and assured that the injury he suffered in one of the training sessions in the Japanese city “is just one more stumbling block on the road.”
Due to this injury, Orlando Ortega, one of the strongest Spanish hopes for a medal at Tokyo 2020, will not start on Tuesday, August 3 in the series of 110 meters hurdles.
“Thank you very much for all the encouragement and messages of support that you are sending me. It was a shame, a shame, that little tear we had in the hamstring, but we will keep trying“said Ortega, in a video released by the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation.
“You have to move on because this it’s just one more stumble on the road. Heartfelt thanks to the federation for the support provided, “he concluded.
Ortega faced these third Games -the second as Spanish- after overcoming a four-month break due to an injury suffered on February 7, when he injured his left foot in Dortmund (Germany) when he hit a fence. He returned in the Spanish Championship, on June 27, winning by one hundredth to Asier Martínez from Pamplona, who also scored an Olympic minimum with 13.31.