Turkey wins first men's world athletics championship gold

Turkish athlete Ramil Guliyev won gold in the 200 metre sprint in London. It was Turkey's first ever men's gold at the World Championships.

Ramil Guliyev celebrating his win in the men's 200m sprint at the 2017 World Championships, in London, August 10, 2017.
TRT World and Agencies

Ramil Guliyev celebrating his win in the men's 200m sprint at the 2017 World Championships, in London, August 10, 2017.

Turkish sprinter Ramil Guliyev was crowned world champion on Thursday in the 200 metres, giving Turkey its first gold medal at the 2017 World Championships in London, and the country's first men's gold in the history of the event.

Guliyev won in 20.09 seconds, ahead of South African Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk, who took silver in 20.11 seconds. Trinidadian Jereem Richards settled for the bronze.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated the champion.

"I heartily congratulate Ramil Guliyev, who made us all proud by winning the men's 200m gold final at the World Athletics Championships," the president tweeted.

Guliyev is a member of Turkey's Fenerbahce sports club. Club chairman Aziz Yildirim also congratulated Turkey's newest sporting hero.

"I was ready to cry tonight," Yildirim proudly said.

"We need to thank Azerbaijan as well," he added, as Guliyev was born in the central Asian state. "Ramil has been competing as the child of two states but one nation, and today he made us proud."

Guliyev thanked his supporters and said it was an "amazing race."

"I believed all year I could do it. I hope next time we will win medals in the Olympic Games," Guliyev said.

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