Albania sent a team to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China which was organised by the National Olympic Committee of Albania. Although Albania didn't win any medals, it was an improvement on their performance at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Sahit Prizreni was the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Games.
Albania competed with eleven athletes, seven of whom were men and four were women, competing in several sports such as athletics (hammer throw and 400 metres), and for the first time in judo. Other sports Albania participated in were swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, and shooting.
Weightlifter Romela Begaj came the closest to the medal rankings as she finished 5th in the Women's 58 kg category, lifting 216 kg in total.
The Albanians also showed good performances outside weightlifting. Sahit Prizreni, the bronze medalist from the 2007 World Wrestling Championships in Baku was competing for the second time for Albania in the Summer Olympics. He advanced to the round of 16 in Men's freestyle 60 kg, where he lost to Bazar Bazarguruev from Kyrgyzstan.
Elis Guri made his debut at the Summer Olympics in wrestling in the Men's Greco-Roman 96 kg category. In the round of 16 he defeated the Olympic champion of 2004, Karam Gaber, after three matches. In the quarterfinals he faced Mirko Englich of Germany. Despite a first-match win, Guri lost the other two matches and didn't qualify to the semifinals. He finished in 7th place, the second best result for Albania at these Games.
Athletics
Key Note – Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only Q = Qualified for the next round q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target NR = National record N/A = Round not applicable for the event Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round
Men AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionDorian ÇollakuHammer throw70.9828Did not advance
Women AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankKlodiana Shala400 m54.847Did not advance
Judo
Men AthleteEventPreliminaryRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechage 1Repechage 2Repechage 3Final / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankEdmond TopalliMen's −81 kg L 0000–1001Did not advance
Shooting
Women AthleteEventQualificationFinalPointsRankPointsRankLindita Kodra10 m air pistol37040Did not advance25 m pistol57035Did not advance
Swimming
Men AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankSidni Hoxha50 m freestyle24.5663Did not advance
Women AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankRovena Marku50 m freestyle28.15=58Did not advance
Weightlifting
AthleteEventSnatchClean & JerkTotalRankResultRankResultRankGert TrashaMen's −69 kg136———Erkand QerimajMen's −77 kg154121871334113Romela BegajWomen's −58 kg98=311872165
Wrestling
Key - Victory by Fall. - Decision by Points - the loser with technical points. - Decision by Points - the loser without technical points.
Men's freestyle AthleteEventQualificationRound of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalRepechage 1Repechage 2Final / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankSahit Prizreni−60 kgL 0–3 Did not advance15
Men's Greco-Roman AthleteEventQualificationRound of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalRepechage 1Repechage 2Final / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankElis Guri−96 kgW 3–1 L 1–3 Did not advanceL 1–3 Did not advance7
References