Turkish hurdler headed to 2020 Olympics


Turkish athlete Yasmani Copello Escobar earned his golden ticket on Saturday to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

The 32-year-old athlete came fourth in the men's 400-meter hurdle run in the Diamond League in Paris, clocking in at 48.47 seconds, his best score of the season.

His performance got him a shot to compete among the world's best in 2020. The Cuba-born athlete secured his first Diamond League victory in the 2019 season and raised his points to 14 in the prestigious events that bring together top-notch athletes from around the world.

He also took third place in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, second place in the European Championships in Berlin in 2018 and secured gold in the Mediterranean Games in Tarragona in the summer of 2018. Norway's Karsten Warholm won the race with 47.26 seconds, while France's Ludvy Vaillant came second with 48.3 seconds, and Kyron McMaster from the British Virgin Islands was third with 48.33 seconds.