Career
His personal best for the event is 13.09 seconds and he was the bronze medallist at the 2011 Pan American Games. Ortega gradually rose through Cuba"s ranks from 2007 onwards, taking youth and junior national titles in the hurdles. He was chosen to compete at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics, but did not finish his heat.
He improved further at a meeting in Havana running a time of 13.29 seconds.
He was one hundredth of a second off his best in the final at the 2011 Pan American Games and claimed the bronze medal while fellow Cuban Dayron Robles took the title. He competed on the European indoor circuit in early 2012, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Extra Large Galan and a 60 metres hurdles best of 7.57 seconds in Metz.
He narrowly missed out on making the final at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships, coming fifth in his heat. He came third at the in June.
He came in sixth in the final 110m hurdles at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
He is studying a degree in physical education in Cuba. During the 2013 World Championships, Moscow he defected from Cuba.