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Majlinda Kelmendi

Majlinda Kelmendi
PMM[1]
Personal information
NationalityKosovan
Albanian[2][3]
Born (1991-05-09) 9 May 1991 (age 33)
Peja, SFR Yugoslavia
(present-day Kosovo)
OccupationJudoka
Years active2009–2021[4]
Height1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Other interests
Military career
Allegiance Albania
Service / branchAlbanian Armed Forces
Years of service2023–[5]
Rank Colonel
Sport
Country Kosovo
SportJudo
Weight class–52 kg
Coached byDriton Kuka
Achievements and titles
Olympic GamesGold (2016)
World Champ.Gold (2013, 2014)
European Champ.Gold (2014, 2016, 2017,
2019)
Medal record
Women's judo
Representing the N/A IJF
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Chelyabinsk ‍–‍52 kg
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Budapest ‍–‍52 kg
Representing  Kosovo
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro ‍–‍52 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Rio de Janeiro ‍–‍52 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Tokyo ‍–‍52 kg
European Games
Gold medal – first place 2019 Minsk ‍–‍52 kg
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Montpellier ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2016 Kazan ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2017 Warsaw ‍–‍52 kg
European U23 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2012 Prague ‍–‍52 kg
World Masters
Gold medal – first place 2013 Tyumen ‍–‍52 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Doha ‍–‍52 kg
IJF Grand Slam
Gold medal – first place 2014 Paris ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2014 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2015 Paris ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2016 Paris ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2017 Paris ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2019 Düsseldorf ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2019 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍52 kg
Silver medal – second place 2013 Paris ‍–‍52 kg
Silver medal – second place 2018 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍52 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍52 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Tel Aviv ‍–‍52 kg
IJF Grand Prix
Gold medal – first place 2012 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2013 Düsseldorf ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2013 Samsun ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2014 Samsun ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2014 Budapest ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2016 Budapest ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2018 Tashkent ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2019 Tel Aviv ‍–‍52 kg
Silver medal – second place 2011 Düsseldorf ‍–‍52 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Amsterdam ‍–‍52 kg
Representing  Albania
World Juniors Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Paris ‍–‍52 kg
European Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Yerevan ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2010 Samokov ‍–‍52 kg
IJF Grand Prix
Gold medal – first place 2010 Tunis ‍–‍52 kg
Gold medal – first place 2011 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍52 kg
Profile at external databases
IJF11273
JudoInside.com42942
Updated on 21 May 2023

Majlinda Kelmendi PMM (Albanian pronunciation: [majˈlinda kɛlˈmɛndi]; born 9 May 1991) is a Kosovan-Albanian former judoka and judo coach.[4]

In 2014, Majlinda topped the IJF Women's Prestige World Ranking List.[6][7] 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.[8] She also represented Albania at the 2012 Summer Olympics.[9][10]

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.[11][12][2][3][13] She was the cousin (aunt's daughter) of the Swedish footballer of Kosovan descent Labinot Harbuzi.[14]

Career

In 2009, Kelmendi won the gold medal at the World Junior Championships in Paris.[15] In 2010, she came 5th at the World Junior Championships in Morocco[16] and finished 9th in the 52 kg category at the 2010 World Judo Championships in Tokyo, Japan.[17] She defeated Jaana Sundberg in the first round of the 2012 Olympics but then lost to Christianne Legentil in the second round.[18]

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[19] in her category having won the prestigious 2013 World Masters event. Kelmendi retained the world title in 2014.[20] 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.[21] Two months later, she earned a gold medal at the 2016 European Championships in Kazan, Russia.[22] 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.[8] Controversy arose when reports emerged that she had declined to take an unscheduled doping control test in June in France; her trainer insists she is clean, and that she refused due to the tester having no authorisation from WADA.[23]

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.[24][25] Kosovo participated at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the country's first appearance at an Olympic event.[26] Kelmendi was Kosovo's flag bearer during the Parade of Nations of the opening ceremony in Rio.[27] 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.[2][3]

In 2021, she won one of the bronze medals in her event at the 2021 Judo World Masters held in Doha, Qatar.[28][29] 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.[30][31] She competed in the women's 52 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.[32]

Statistics

Medals record

Source:[33]

2009
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 52 kg − World Cup, Prague
2010
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 52 kg − World Cup, Sofia
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − European Cup, Sarajevo
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Prix, Tunis
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 52 kg − World Cup, Tallinn
2011
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 52 kg − World Cup, Sofia
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Prix, Düsseldorf
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 52 kg − World Cup, Lisbon
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − World Cup, Rome
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − World Cup, Minsk
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Prix, Amsterdam
2012
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − European Cup, Prague
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 52 kg − World Cup, Rome
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − World Cup, Istanbul
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi
2013
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Slam, Paris
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Prix, Düsseldorf
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Prix, Samsun
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 52 kg − European Championships, Budapest
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − World Masters, Tyumen
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − World Championships, Rio de Janeiro
2014
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Slam, Paris
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Prix, Samsun
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − European Championships, Montpellier
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Prix, Budapest
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − World Championships, Chelyabinsk
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Slam, Abu Dhabi
2015
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − European Cup, Prague
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − World Cup, Lisbon
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Slam, Paris
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Slam, Abu Dhabi
2016
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Slam, Paris
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − European Championships, Kazan
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Prix, Budapest
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro
2017
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Slam, Paris
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − European Championships, Warsaw
2018
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Slam, Abu Dhabi
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Prix, Tashkent
2019
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Prix, Tel Aviv
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Slam, Düsseldorf
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − European Games, Minsk
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 52 kg − World Championships, Tokyo
1st place, gold medalist(s) 52 kg − Grand Slam, Abu Dhabi
2021
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 52 kg − World Masters, Doha

References

  1. ^ "Presidentja Atifete Jahjaga ia ndau Majlinda Kelmendit Medaljen Presidenciale të Meritave" (in Albanian). Presidential Office of Kosovo. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Browne, Luke (19 May 2012). "The Olympics Interview: Majlinda Kelmendi". Financial Times (FT). Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "London 2012: Judoka's Kosovo Olympic bid turned down". British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 25 May 2012. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Majlinda Kelmendi njofton për pensionim nga xhudo" [Majlinda Kelmendi announces retirement from judo] (in Albanian). Telegrafi. 26 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Elita kombëtare e sportit shqiptar, kampionë olimpikë, botërorë dhe europianë nderohen me grada honorifike" [The national elite of Albanian sports, Olympic, world and European champions are honored with honorary degrees] (in Albanian). Prime Minister's Office (Albania). 6 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Kelmendi and Tchrikishvili crowned IJF Prestige World Ranking List winners". International Judo Federation. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Vizer shpall Majlindën më të mirën në botë". Telegrafi.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  8. ^ a b MacPhail, Cameron (7 August 2016). "Majlinda Kelmendi makes history with victory in women's judo as Kosovo wins first ever gold medal". rio2016.com. Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  9. ^ "London 2012 Olympics – Majlinda Kelmendi : Albania, Judo". Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  10. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Majlinda Kelmendi". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016.
  11. ^ "Rreth Majlinda Kelmendi" (in Albanian). Insporti. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Majlinda Kelmendi". Kosovo Info. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  13. ^ Kasapolli, V. (20 May 2010). "Kosovo: Majlinda, the judo star". Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Majlinda Kelmendi: Medaljen e artë ia dedikoj një personi të veçantë, tezakut të ndjerë Labinot Harbuzi" [Majlinda Kelmendi: I dedicate the gold medal to a special person, the late cousin Labinot Harbuzi] (in Albanian). Telegrafi. 23 June 2019. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  15. ^ Mark Lowe (17 September 2010). "Politics bears down on 2012 hopeful Majlinda Kelmendi". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  16. ^ "IJF World Championship Juniors 2010 – 52kg category results" (PDF). International Judo Federation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  17. ^ "World Championships 2010 – 52kg category results" (PDF). IJF website. International Judo Federation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  18. ^ "London 2012: 48-52kg halflightweight women – Olympic Judo". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  19. ^ Half-lightweight 52kg. "IJF World Rankings 30 May 2016". Judobase.org. International Judo Federation (IJF). Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ T.P. Grant (26 August 2014). "2014 World Judo Championships Day 2: Men's −60kg and Women's". Bloody Elbow. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  21. ^ "JudoInside – News – Majlinda Kelmendi claims third title in Paris". Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  22. ^ "IJF live results". Archived from the original on 5 June 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  23. ^ "Kosovo's First Ever Olympic Medalist on Her 'Great Moment'". Time. Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  24. ^ Karolos Grohmann (23 October 2014). "Olympics: IOC has no concerns over Kosovo recognition". Reuters. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  25. ^ "Kosovo to compete at Rio 2016 Olympics after recognition from IOC" Archived 15 September 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Associated Press, 9 December 2014.
  26. ^ "Kosovo given go-ahead by IOC to take part in 2016 Olympics". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  27. ^ "Majlinda Kelmendi carries the flag of Kosovo at Rio 2016". 100Judo.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  28. ^ "2021 Judo World Masters". International Judo Federation. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  29. ^ Gillen, Nancy (11 January 2021). "Olympic silver medallist An wins under-66kg contest at IJF World Judo Masters". InsideTheGames.biz. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  30. ^ Rowbottom, Mike (18 February 2021). "Shock defeats for Kelmendi and Bilodid at Tel Aviv Grand Slam". InsideTheGames.biz. Archived from the original on 18 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  31. ^ "2021 Judo Grand Slam Tel Aviv". International Judo Federation. Archived from the original on 23 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  32. ^ "Judo Results Book" (PDF). Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  33. ^ "Majlinda Kelmendi, Judoka, Judobase". Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
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