Judo competitor Distria Krasniqi from Kosovo has claimed her second Olympic medal, after winning silver in the women’s -52kg Judo event in Paris.
Kosovo’s debut Olympic appearance was only in 2016, after it declared independence in 2008 from Serbia. Since then, the Balkan nation has won four Olympic medals – all of them from Judo, and all of them won by women.
Krasniqi, the 28-year-old fighter from Peja, Kosovo, won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games, and as of last night’s silver medal performance, she can now claim half of her country’s total medal tally.
The Kosovo Olympic Committee posted on X congratulating Krasniqi on her achievements.
“YES, SHE DID IT AGAIN,” the Committee wrote.
“Distria Krasniqi secures Kosovo’s first Olympic medal from Paris. This is Kosovo’s fourth medal in three Olympics.”
IT'S SILVER🥈🇽🇰 WELL DONE DISI💪
— NOC KOSOVO 🥇🥇🥇 (@NOCKOSOVO) July 28, 2024
Distria Krasniqi wins the Olympic silver medal in Paris 2024.
The second Olympic gold medal for Distria, the fourth medal for Kosovo.#Paris2024 #GoldenEuropeans pic.twitter.com/PdsooV678W
The Committee said they were “proud” of Krasniqi’s silver medal placing, the first medal that Kosovo has won in the Paris 2024 Games. Her medal places Kosovo at Rank 16 in the overall medal tally.
Although Kosovo became an independent nation in 2008, the Kosovo Olympic Committee was not recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) until 2014.
At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Kosovo sent a team of eight athletes to compete in five different sports in its debut Games. It was here that judoka Majlinda Kelmendi won gold in the women’s -52kg Judo event, the country’s first medal.
There were 11 athletes in Kosovo’s team across six different sports at the Tokyo 2020 Games. At these Olympics, Distria Krasniqi and fellow competitor Nora Gjakova won gold in the women’s -48kg and -57kg Judo events, respectively.
Nora Gjakova and her brother, Akil Gjakova, carried the Kosovo national flag at the Opening Ceremony, representing Kosovo’s team of nine athletes for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Historic Judo tournament
Distria Krasniqi’s silver medal wasn’t the only history-making moment from the women’s -52kg judo event. The gold medallist, Diyora Kelidiyorova, won Uzbekistan’s first gold medallist in judo.
“It’s an amazing feeling – the first gold medal for Uzbekistan, and also from a woman. I’m so happy,” Kelidiyorova said.
“It was such a hard job to get here and I have only thought about the Olympic Games, all the time, just the Games. It wasn’t just about the medal, but specifically about the gold medal.
“It’s such an important day for me, my parents, family, all of us. This is a whole team medal… It’s Uzbekistan’s gold.”
Gold medal tournaments will continue for Judo events over the next four nights (overnight AEST):
- -63kg: 31 July 0:00
- -70kg: 1 August 0:00
- -78kg: 2 August 0:00
- +78kg: 3 August 0:00