Albania to send its biggest Olympic team ever to Beijing

30/07/2008

Albanian Olympic athletes will compete in wrestling, shooting, track and field, weightlifting, swimming and judo.

By Jonilda Koci for Southeast European Times in Tirana -- 30/07/08

Albania's Klodiana Shala (left) will participate in her fourth Olympic Games. [Getty Images]

Albanian President Bamir Topi gave his country's flag to the 27-member delegation that will participate next week in the Beijing Olympics, the largest Albanian contingent ever in the Games. "You are the peace ambassadors," Topi said at the July 23rd ceremony.

The team includes 11 athletes competing in swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, shooting and judo, as well as coaches and administrative officials, according to Albanian Olympic Committee President Hysen Domi.

The athletes are wrestlers Said Prizreni and Elis Guri, marksman Lindita Kodra, Klodiana Shala and Dorian Collaku who run track and field, weightlifters Romela Begaj, Gerti Trasha and Erkan Qerimaj, swimmers Rovena Marku and Sidni Hoxha, and Edmond Topalli, who competes in judo.

Prizreni is ranked third in the world in free wrestling, and he is considered a strong contender for a medal. He won unanimous election by the Executive Olympic Committee members to carry the flag into the opening ceremony.

Begaj ranked second in the 2008 European weightlifting championship. Qerimaj took a silver medal in weightlifting at the World Championships for juveniles.

Guri took third place in the 2008 European wrestling championship, while Kodra placed fourth in the World Cup in 2008.

Shala, who is competing in her fourth Olympics, is aiming for medals in track and field.

Seven of the athletes won their slots on the team by prevailing in qualification matches, while four received invitations to participate in the Olympics.

Albanian Olympic Committee authorities think their athletes will do best in weightlifting and wrestling.

Weightlifter Ymer Pampuri was the only Albanian to win a gold medal, doing so at the 1972 Olympiad in Munich, Germany. Albania then boycotted the Olympics until its return in 1992.