Albania at the Olympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Albania at theOlympics |
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| IOC code | ALB | ||||||||
| NOC | Albanian National Olympic Committee | ||||||||
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Albania first joined the Summer Olympic Games in 1972. After that, Albania missed the next four games. Three of these were due to international boycotts, which are when countries decide not to send their athletes for political reasons. Albania returned for the Barcelona 1992 Games and has competed in every Summer Olympics since then.
Albania also started competing in the Winter Olympic Games in 2006. Athletes from Albania usually compete in sports like swimming, athletics, weightlifting, shooting, and wrestling. The Albanian National Olympic Committee has been in charge of their Olympic teams since 1972.
Albania made history at the 2024 Summer Olympics by winning its first two Olympic medals! Both were bronze medals in wrestling. Chermen Valiev won the first bronze on August 10, 2024, in the men's freestyle 74 kg event. The very next day, Islam Dudaev won the second bronze in the men's freestyle 65 kg event.
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Olympic Medal Winners for Albania
Here are the athletes who have won medals for Albania at the Olympic Games:
| Medal | Name | Games | Sport | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bronze |
Chermen Valiev |  2024 Paris |
 Wrestling |
Men's freestyle 74 kg |
| Bronze |
Islam Dudaev | 2024 Paris |
Wrestling |
Men's freestyle 65 kg |
Did you know that Mirela Manjani competed for Albania in javelin throw at the 1996 Summer Olympics? She finished 24th. Later, she decided to represent Greece and won a silver medal in 2000 and a bronze medal in 2004 while competing for Greece.
Albania's Olympic Journey
Albania officially joined the Olympic Games for the first time at the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics. Five athletes represented the country in shooting and weightlifting. Some of the first athletes were Fatos Pilkati, Afërdita Tusha, Ismail Rama, Beqir Kosova, and Ymer Pampuri.
After missing several games, Albania returned to the Olympics in Barcelona 1992. They sent seven athletes to compete in sports like athletics, shooting, swimming, and weightlifting.
Growing Participation
For the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Albania sent seven athletes again. Mirela Manjani was the flag bearer, leading the team into the opening ceremony. Over the years, Albania's team grew. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, they sent their largest team ever, with eleven athletes.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Albania had nine athletes. Romela Begaj was the flag bearer and competed in weightlifting. Briken Calja achieved Albania's best result at that time, finishing 6th in weightlifting. He continued to improve, placing 5th at the 2016 Summer Olympics and then an impressive 4th place at the 2020 Summer Olympics. His 4th place finish was the best for Albania until the 2024 Games.
Also at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Luiza Gega made history. She became the first Albanian athlete to reach the finals in an athletics event, competing in the women's 3000 metres steeplechase.
In the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Albania finally won its first Olympic medals! As mentioned, Chermen Valiev and Islam Dudaev won bronze medals in wrestling.
Trying for Team Sports
Albania has also tried to qualify for team sports at the Olympics.
Football Qualifiers
In 1964, Albania's national football team tried to qualify for the Olympics for the first time. They played against Bulgaria but lost both matches. They also tried to qualify for the 1972 Summer Olympics football tournament, playing against Romania. Even with goals from Medin Zhega and Panajot Pano, they lost both games.
Basketball Qualifiers
The Albania men's national basketball team has also tried to qualify for the Summer Olympics twice. In 1972, they played three qualifying matches. They lost all of them, but two games were very close! They lost by just one point to Belgium and by three points to the Netherlands. This was their best attempt in basketball Olympic qualification.
Twenty years later, in 1992, Albania's basketball team tried again. They won one game against Switzerland, but it wasn't enough to qualify for the Olympics. Albania has never participated in a team sport at the Olympic Games.
Olympic Medal Counts
Medals from Summer Olympics
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Medals from Winter Olympics
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Flagbearers for Albania
The flag bearer is an athlete who carries their country's flag during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. It's a great honor!
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See also
In Spanish: Albania en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños
- Sports in Albania
- Albania at the Mediterranean Games
- List of participating nations at the Summer Olympic Games
- List of participating nations at the Winter Olympic Games
- Category:Olympic competitors for Albania
- Albania at the Paralympics
