Social Media Ranks Azerbaijan-Born Sprinter Europe’s Best

The European Athletics Association awarded Azerbaijan-born sprinter Ramil Guliyev European Male Athlete of the Month for August on Tuesday, following an online voting drive via the organization’s official Twitter and Facebook pages. 

Guliyev, now a naturalized Turkish citizen, received 5,700 re-tweets on Twitter, as well as 647 Likes and 127 post shares on Facebook.

A competitor in 100 meter and 200 meter sprinting events, Guliyev became World Champion in the men's 200 meter race at the 2017 World Championships in London on August 11, winning Turkey's first-ever gold medal in the World Championships. He outpaced his rivals Said Van Niekerk from South Africa and Jereem Richards from Trinidad and Tobago, clocking in at 20.09 seconds. Van Niekerk and Richards came in at 20.10 and 20.11, respectively.

Guliyev, who competes for the Fenerbahçe Athletics club, also won the 200 meter race at the Birmingham Diamond League on August 21, crossing the finish line at 20.17. Just eight days later, he won a silver medal in the men’s 100 meter race at the International Stadionfest annual track and field athletics competition in Berlin. 

Ramil Guliyev was born in Azerbaijan’s capital city of Baku on May 29, 1990. His accolades include being ranked as the fastest sprinter in Azerbaijan, at distances of 60, 100 and 200 meters. In 2009, he won first place at the World Universiade in Belgrade, Serbia, clocking in at 20.04 seconds, coming in behind legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s world record of 19.93 seconds.