Majlinda Kelmendi

Majlinda Kelmendi (; born 9 May 1991) is a Kosovan-Albanian former judoka and judo coach. On 7 August 2016, she became the first Kosovan athlete to win a medal at the Olympic Games when she claimed gold in the women's 52 kg category at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She also represented Albania at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Early life Majlinda Kelmendi was born on 9 May 1991 into a Kosovo Albanian family in the city of Peja, then part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, present-day Kosovo. She was the cousin (aunt's daughter) of the late Labinot Harbuzi, a Swedish footballer of Kosovan descent, who died in October 2018 after a cardiac arrest at age 32.

Career In 2009, Kelmendi won the gold medal at the World Junior Championships in Paris. In 2010, she came 5th at the World Junior Championships in Morocco and finished 9th in the 52 kg category at the 2010 World Judo Championships in Tokyo, Japan. She defeated Jaana Sundberg in the first round of the 2012 Olympics but then lost to Christianne Legentil in the second round.

At the 2013 World Judo Championships, Kelmendi gave Kosovo its first ever judo world title as she beat Brazil's Érika Miranda in the 52 kg gold medal match in Rio de Janeiro. The 22-year-old – the first Kosovar judoka to win a medal at the championships since Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008 – was not a shock winner as she came to Rio de Janeiro ranked number one in her category having won the prestigious 2013 World Masters event. Kelmendi retained the world title in 2014. She did not defend her title the following year due to injury.

In February 2016, she won the gold medal at Paris Grand Slam, making her third consecutive title after winning in 2014 and 2015. Two months later, she earned a gold medal at the 2016 European Championships in Kazan, Russia. At the 2016 Summer Olympics she became the first ever Kosovan athlete to win a gold medal, or any medal at all, for Kosovo at an Olympic Games.

Due to the resistance of International Olympic Committee and the United Nations, Kelmendi was unable to represent Kosovo at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Also, IOC turned down Kelmendi's request to compete as an independent athlete. Kelmendi chose to represent Albania, as the vast majority of Kosovars are ethnic Albanians.

In October 2014, the International Olympic Committee provisionally recognised the Olympic Committee of Kosovo and gave it full membership on 9 December 2014. Kosovo participated at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the country's first appearance at an Olympic event. Kelmendi was Kosovo's flag bearer during the Parade of Nations of the opening ceremony in Rio. Her gold medal in those games was Kosovo's first ever Olympic medal. She is also a citizen of Albania and has an Albanian passport. A month later, she won one of the bronze medals in her event at the 2021 Judo Grand Slam Tel Aviv held in Tel Aviv, Israel. She competed in the women's 52 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Statistics Medals record Source:

2009 52 kg − World Cup, Prague 2010 52 kg − World Cup, Sofia 52 kg − European Cup, Sarajevo 52 kg − Grand Prix, Tunis 52 kg − World Cup, Tallinn 2011 52 kg − World Cup, Sofia 52 kg − Grand Prix, Düsseldorf 52 kg − World Cup, Lisbon 52 kg − World Cup, Rome 52 kg − World Cup, Minsk 52 kg − Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi 52 kg − Grand Prix, Amsterdam 2012 52 kg − European Cup, Prague 52 kg − World Cup, Rome 52 kg − World Cup, Istanbul 52 kg − Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi 2013 52 kg − Grand Slam, Paris 52 kg − Grand Prix, Düsseldorf 52 kg − Grand Prix, Samsun 52 kg − European Championships, Budapest 52 kg − World Masters, Tyumen 52 kg − World Championships, Rio de Janeiro 2014 52 kg − Grand Slam, Paris 52 kg − Grand Prix, Samsun 52 kg − European Championships, Montpellier 52 kg − Grand Prix, Budapest 52 kg − World Championships, Chelyabinsk 52 kg − Grand Slam, Abu Dhabi 2015 52 kg − European Cup, Prague 52 kg − World Cup, Lisbon 52 kg − Grand Slam, Paris 52 kg − Grand Slam, Abu Dhabi 2016 52 kg − Grand Slam, Paris 52 kg − European Championships, Kazan 52 kg − Grand Prix, Budapest 52 kg − Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro 2017 52 kg − Grand Slam, Paris 52 kg − European Championships, Warsaw 2018 52 kg − Grand Slam, Abu Dhabi 52 kg − Grand Prix, Tashkent 2019 52 kg − Grand Prix, Tel Aviv 52 kg − Grand Slam, Düsseldorf 52 kg − European Games, Minsk 52 kg − World Championships, Tokyo 52 kg − Grand Slam, Abu Dhabi 2021 52 kg − World Masters, Doha