Albania has won two Olympic medals, both bronze and both in wrestling. Chermen Valiev and Islam Dudaev, competing in wrestling under the Albanian flag, secured the medals.

Why is it significant

Albania stopped participating in the Olympic Games after the 1972 Munich games. It returned to the games 20 years later, in 1992, after the fall of communis. The 2024 Summer Olympics mark Albania’s 10th appearance in the Olympic Games. However, this is the first time the country has earned medals.

Context

Islam Dudaev obtained a bronze medal in the 65kg freestyle category by defeating reigning world champion Musukaev, who represents Hungary. On Saturday, Albania also won a second bronze medal with Chermen Valiev, a wrestler originally from Russia who joined the Albanian team this year. Valiev claimed victory in the 74kg freestyle category.

The fact that the country had never won any medals had been widely discussed in recent weeks. Understandably, the performance of the two wrestlers and the medals, were met with enthusiasm by ordinary Albanians and senior politicians among whom the Prime Minister.

However, as almost everything else in Albania, even the victory of the two medals, sparked a politically motivated debate between the majority and opposition.

It was Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha who reacted to the Prime Minister’s congratulatory message with a fierce attack, calling him a liar, claiming that these were not Albania’s first Olympic medals. He cited the champion weightlifter Ymer Pampuri’s gold medal win at the 1972 Munich Olympics as proof of the Prime Minister’s lie and ignorance.

However, a quick check of the facts was enough for most media to point out that while Ymer Pampuri did not win an Olympic medal. In his reaction, the Prime Minister accused Berisha of being unable to enjoy any success achieved by Albania and of trying to minimize any achievements Albania has made over the past years. He then went on to explain that while Ymer Pampuri achieved extraordinary success and fame by finishing first in the press lift (at the time, there were three styles of weightlifting competition), he was placed ninth in the overall Olympic event in Munich, due to a much lower result in the combined three lifts. Pampuri’s medal therefore was not an Olympic medal, but a gold medal in the respective style at the World Championship, which was held concurrently with the Olympic competition.

Albania was represented at the Paris 2024 Olympics by eight athletes. Four of them met the qualification standards, while four others received invitations: three wrestlers, two athletes, two swimmers, and one shooter.