Majlinda Kelmendi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Majlinda Kelmendi
PMM

Personal information
Nationality	Kosovan Albanian
Born	(1991-05-09) 9 May 1991 (age 34) Peja, SFR Yugoslavia (present-day Kosovo)
Died	Not recognized as a date. Years must have 4 digits (use leading zeros for years < 1000). (aged Error: Need valid year, month, day)
Occupation	Judoka
Years active	2009–2021
Height	1.63 m
Other interests
Military career
Allegiance	Albania
Service/branch	Albanian Armed Forces
Years of service	2023–
Rank	Colonel
Sport
Country	Kosovo
Sport	Judo
Weight class	–52 kg
Coached by	Driton Kuka
Achievements and titles
World finals	(2013, 2014)
Regional finals	(2014, 2016, 2017, ( 2019)
Olympic finals	(2016)
Medal record Women's judo Representing the IJF World Championships Gold 2014 Chelyabinsk ‍–‍52 kg European Championships Bronze 2013 Budapest ‍–‍52 kg Representing  Kosovo Olympic Games Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro ‍–‍52 kg World Championships Gold 2013 Rio de Janeiro ‍–‍52 kg Bronze 2019 Tokyo ‍–‍52 kg European Games Gold 2019 Minsk ‍–‍52 kg European Championships Gold 2014 Montpellier ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2016 Kazan ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2017 Warsaw ‍–‍52 kg European U23 Championships Gold 2012 Prague ‍–‍52 kg World Masters Gold 2013 Tyumen ‍–‍52 kg Bronze 2021 Doha ‍–‍52 kg IJF Grand Slam Gold 2014 Paris ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2014 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2015 Paris ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2016 Paris ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2017 Paris ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2019 Düsseldorf ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2019 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍52 kg Silver 2013 Paris ‍–‍52 kg Silver 2018 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍52 kg Bronze 2015 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍52 kg Bronze 2021 Tel Aviv ‍–‍52 kg IJF Grand Prix Gold 2012 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2013 Düsseldorf ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2013 Samsun ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2014 Samsun ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2014 Budapest ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2016 Budapest ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2018 Tashkent ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2019 Tel Aviv ‍–‍52 kg Silver 2011 Düsseldorf ‍–‍52 kg Bronze 2011 Amsterdam ‍–‍52 kg Representing  Albania World Juniors Championships Gold 2009 Paris ‍–‍52 kg European Junior Championships Gold 2009 Yerevan ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2010 Samokov ‍–‍52 kg IJF Grand Prix Gold 2010 Tunis ‍–‍52 kg Gold 2011 Abu Dhabi ‍–‍52 kg
Updated on 21 May 2023.

Majlinda Kelmendi (born May 9, 1991) is a famous former judoka and judo coach from Kosovo. She is known for her amazing achievements in the sport.

In 2014, Majlinda was ranked number one in the world for women's judo. On August 7, 2016, she made history. She became the very first athlete from Kosovo to win an Olympic medal. She won a gold medal in the women's 52 kg category at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Before that, she also represented Albania at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Majlinda's Early Life

Majlinda Kelmendi was born on May 9, 1991. Her family was from Kosovo, and she was born in the city of Peja. At that time, Peja was part of a country called Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Today, Peja is in Kosovo.

Her Amazing Judo Career

Majlinda Kelmendi started her journey in judo at a young age. She quickly showed great talent and dedication.

Becoming a Junior Champion

In 2009, Majlinda won a gold medal at the World Judo Juniors Championships in Paris. This was a big win for her as a young athlete. The next year, in 2010, she placed 5th at the World Junior Championships in Morocco. She also finished 9th in her weight class at the World Judo Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

Olympic Challenges and Triumphs

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Majlinda faced a challenge. At that time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not yet fully recognize Kosovo as an independent country for sports. Because of this, Majlinda could not compete for Kosovo. She chose to represent Albania, as most people in Kosovo are ethnically Albanian. She competed in the 52 kg category.

In October 2014, the IOC officially recognized the Olympic Committee of Kosovo. This was a huge step for Kosovo. It meant that Kosovan athletes could finally compete under their own flag at the Olympics.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Majlinda was chosen to be Kosovo's flag bearer. This meant she led her country's team during the opening ceremony. It was a very proud moment for her and for Kosovo. She then went on to win the gold medal in her event. This was Kosovo's first-ever Olympic medal, making her a national hero.

Winning World Titles

In 2013, Majlinda won her first World Judo Championships title. She beat Érika Miranda from Brazil in the 52 kg gold medal match in Rio de Janeiro. This was Kosovo's first-ever judo world title. Majlinda was already ranked number one in her category before this win. She had also won the important Judo World Masters event that year.

Majlinda continued her success by winning the world title again in 2014. She was a dominant force in her weight class. She did not compete in the World Championships the following year because of an injury.

More Gold Medals and Achievements

Majlinda kept winning many important competitions. In February 2016, she won the gold medal at the Paris Grand Slam for the third time in a row. A couple of months later, she won another gold medal at the European Judo Championships in Russia.

In 2021, Majlinda won a bronze medal at the Judo World Masters in Doha, Qatar. She also won a bronze medal at the Judo Grand Slam Tel Aviv in Israel that same year. She competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, which were held in 2021 due to the global pandemic.

Majlinda Kelmendi retired from competitive judo in 2021. She is now a judo coach, sharing her knowledge and experience with new athletes.

Images for kids

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  Majlinda Kelmendi meeting Memli Krasniqi.

See also

In Spanish: Majlinda Kelmendi para niños