Albania at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Albania (ALB) competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, represented by the Albanian National Olympic Committee (KOKSH). Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Albania at the 2020 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
| IOC code | ALB |
| NOC | Albanian National Olympic Committee |
| Website | nocalbania.org.al (in Albanian) |
| in Tokyo, Japan July 23, 2021 – August 8, 2021 | |
| Competitors | 9 (6 men and 3 women) in 6 sports |
| Flag bearers (opening) | Luiza Gega Briken Calja |
| Flag bearer (closing) | N/A |
| Medals |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
Up to this point, the nation had participated in the Summer Olympic Games on eight occasions since its first appearance in 1972. A total of nine athletes, six men and three women, were selected by the national committee to compete in six sports.
Four athletes qualified based on their results, including track star Luiza Gega, who won Gold at the 2018 Mediterranean Games in the 3000m steeplechase run. It was her second participation at the Summer Olympics.
In weightlifting, Albania competed with two men. Briken Calja, the European Weightlifting Champion from 2018, competed in the Men's 73 kg category, while Erkand Qerimaj competed in the Men's 81 kg competition. The best result was achieved by Briken Calja, who finished 4th after lifting 342kg. This marks Albania's highest finishing position at an event in their history at the Summer Olympics.
Another notable achievement came from Luiza Gega, who qualified for the Finals in Athletics, being the first athlete to do so. In the end, she finished the finals in 13th, with a time of 9:34.10.
Despite significant improvements from previous Olympics, Albania remains without an Olympic medal.