Yasmani Copello

1.1. Early amateur career in Cuba

Born in Havana, Cuba, Yasmani Copello Escobar began his athletic journey competing at the national level as a teenager in 2006. His physical attributes include a height of 75 in ^{(191 cm)} and a weight of 187 lb ^{(85 kg)}. In his inaugural year, he secured a fourth-place finish in the 400 metres hurdles at the Cuban Athletics Championships and ranked fifth at the Olimpiada Cubana. The following year, 2007, marked a period of significant personal improvement. He lowered his personal best in the 400 metres flat to 47.48 seconds at the Rafael Fortun National Meeting and achieved a 400 metres hurdles time of 50.43 seconds in Havana.

Copello made his international debut at the Athletics at the 2007 ALBA Games, where he earned a silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles with a new personal best of 49.99 seconds, finishing as runner-up to fellow Cuban Omar Cisneros. He also contributed to Cuba's success by helping the national team secure the gold medal in the 4×400 metres relay at the same event. In 2008, Copello continued to collect medals, winning a gold as part of the Cuban relay team at the 2008 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics. Individually, he competed at the 2008 Central American and Caribbean Championships, where he claimed a silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles, finishing behind Jamaica's Isa Phillips. He also participated in the heats of the 110 metres hurdles at this championship. Although he was provisionally named to Cuba's relay squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, he ultimately did not compete.

The Athletics at the 2009 ALBA Games saw Copello repeat his previous results, securing a second-place finish behind Cisneros and contributing to another relay victory. However, his performance at the 2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics was less successful, as he finished fifth, outside the medal positions. Notably, the medallists in that race were Javier Culson, Félix Sánchez, and Jehue Gordon, all of whom went on to become finalists at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. Despite this, 2009 also marked new personal bests, including 21.44 seconds for the 200 metres, 46.77 seconds for the 400 metres, and 49.56 seconds for the 400 metres hurdles, all achieved in Havana in February.

Copello competed sparingly in 2010, with his best results being a second-place finish at Cuba's Barrientos Memorial and a win at the 2010 Olimpiada Cubana. His victory at the 2011 Copa Cuba meet proved to be his last win representing his home nation.

1.2. Transition to Turkish nationality

In 2012, Yasmani Copello Escobar made the significant decision to move to Turkey. Upon his arrival, he joined Fenerbahçe Athletics and quickly made an impact, winning at the national club championships. A notable achievement during this period was at the 2013 Meeting Val de Reuil in France, where he set a personal best and then-Cuban record of 49.54 seconds in the seldom-contested indoor 400 metres hurdles. This performance was unusual as it made his indoor best faster than his outdoor record at the time.

His transition to representing Turkey became official when he opted for Turkish nationality in October 2013. Following this, on April 30, 2014, he became officially eligible to compete internationally for Turkey. This move marked a new chapter in his career, providing him with a platform for greater international exposure and enabling him to make significant contributions to Turkish athletics on the global stage.

2.1. World and Olympic Championships

Copello's tenure representing Turkey brought unprecedented success at the highest levels of international athletics. At the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, he became the first Turkish athlete to compete in the men's 400 metres hurdles at the World Championships. He showcased remarkable form, significantly improving on his pre-championship personal best of 49.39 seconds by running 48.89 seconds in the heats and an even faster 48.46 seconds in the semifinals. This semifinal time also set a new Turkish national record. He advanced to the final, finishing in sixth place with a time of 48.96 seconds, narrowly missing a medal.

His most iconic performance came at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Here, he achieved another historic first for Turkey by becoming the nation's first athlete to reach the semi-finals of the men's 400 metres hurdles, surpassing the previous best set by Kemal Horulu in the 1948 London Games. He then advanced to the final, where he delivered a career-defining performance. He shattered his own Turkish record (48.42 seconds, set just a month prior) by clocking 47.92 seconds, securing the bronze medal. He finished behind Kerron Clement (47.73 seconds) and Boniface Mucheru Tumuti (47.78 seconds). This medal was monumental, marking the first time Turkey had ever won an Olympic medal in a men's track event.

Building on his Olympic success, Copello continued his strong performances at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London. He entered the competition with a season's best of 48.24 seconds, ranking him fifth globally and fourth among the participants. He comfortably progressed through the heats and semi-finals to reach his third consecutive global final. In the final, he claimed the silver medal with a time of 48.49 seconds, finishing just 0.14 seconds behind the gold medalist Karsten Warholm. This achievement marked his second consecutive global medal and was also a historic first for Turkey, representing the nation's inaugural medal in a men's track event at the World Championships.

2.2. European and Mediterranean Championships

Yasmani Copello has also been a dominant force at regional and continental championships for Turkey. At the 2014 Balkan Athletics Championships in Bacău, he secured a silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles and a gold medal in the 4x400 metres relay. The following year, at the 2015 Balkan Athletics Championships in Pitești, he earned two gold medals, winning both the 400 metres hurdles and the 4x400 metres relay.

His breakthrough at the European level occurred at the 2016 European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam. In the semi-finals of the men's 400 metres hurdles, he set a new Turkish record of 48.42 seconds. In the final, despite a slightly slower time of 48.98 seconds, he was the only athlete to break the 49-second barrier, securing the gold medal ahead of Spain's Sergio Fernández (49.06 seconds) and defending champion Kariem Hussein of Switzerland (49.10 seconds). This victory was a landmark achievement, as it marked Turkey's first gold medal in a men's short-distance track event, including hurdles, at the European Championships.

In 2017, Copello also earned a silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles at the 2017 European Athletics Team Championships in Lille, contributing to Turkey's overall team performance. He continued his success at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin, where he won a silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles. At the 2018 Mediterranean Games in Tarragona, he secured a silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles.

More recently, at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich, Copello added a bronze medal to his collection in the 400 metres hurdles. He also had a strong showing at the 2022 Mediterranean Games in Oran, winning a gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles and a silver medal as part of the 4x400 metres relay team.

2.3. Diamond League and other professional competitions

Beyond major championships, Yasmani Copello Escobar has consistently competed in top-tier professional athletics circuits, including the Diamond League. His notable performances include a victory at the 2016 Bislett Games in Oslo, part of the Diamond League series, where he won the men's 400 metres hurdles with a time of 48.79 seconds. His consistent participation and strong results in these high-profile meetings underscore his status as a top-level hurdler on the international stage.

4.1. Diamond League Wins