Kosovo (KOS) competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, represented by the Olympic Committee of Kosovo (KOK/OKK). The nation had previously participated in the Summer Olympic Games on one occasion in 2016. A total of 11 athletes, five men and six women, were selected by the national committee to compete in six sports. Initially scheduled to take place during the summer of 2020, the games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021 in relation to the pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Kosovo won two gold medals, a further improvement on its 2016 performance where the country won one gold medal. Kosovo remains the only country to win more than two medals, all of which are gold. The gold medals were won by two female Judokas.
Distria Krasniqi who won Gold in the Women's 48 kg event and by Nora Gjakova who won Gold in the Women's 57 kg event. Majlinda Kelmendi, the gold medalist from the 2016 Summer Olympics, represented Kosovo for the second time in the Women's 52 kg category.
Background
Following the 127th IOC Session in 2014, Kosovo was announced as an official member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and coincidentally obtained the right to participate as an independent nation in international sports events. Therefore, Kosovo made its Olympic debut as a member state at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Marking the nation's second Summer Olympic participation, the 2020 Summer Olympics were originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020 but were postponed to 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Competitors The following table lists the number of competitors for Kosovo in the 2020 Summer Olympics. The nation's team for the 2020 games was composed of five male and six female competitors, including athlete Musa Hajdari, boxer Donjeta Sadiku, judoka Akil Gjakova, Distria Krasniqi, Majlinda Kelmendi, Nora Gjakova and Loriana Kuka, shooter Drilon Ibrahimi, swimmers Eda Zeqiri and Olt Kondirolli as well as wrestler Egzon Shala.
Sport Men Women TotalAthletics 1 0 1Boxing 0 1 1Judo 1 4 5Shooting 1 0 1Swimming 1 1 2Wrestling 1 0 1 Total 5 6 11
Medalists
Medal Name Sport Event Date Distria Krasniqi Judo Women's 48 kg Nora Gjakova Judo Women's 57 kg
Athletics
Kosovo received a universality slot from the IAAF to send a male track and field athlete to the Olympics.
Track & road events AthleteEventHeat SemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankMusa HajdariMen's 800 m1:48.968 Did not advance
Boxing
Kosovo entered one female boxer into the Olympic tournament after receiving the tripartite invitation quotas.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankDonjeta SadikuWomen's lightweightL 0–5 Did not advance
Judo
Kosovo entered five judoka (one men and four women) into the Olympic tournament based on the International Judo Federation Olympics Individual Ranking.International Judo Federation Olympics Ranking
AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankAkil GjakovaMen's −73 kgW 10–00W 11–00W 10–00L 00–10Did not advanceL 00–10Did not advance7Distria KrasniqiWomen's –48 kgW 10–00W 10–00W 10–00W 10–00Majlinda KelmendiWomen's –52 kgL 00–10 Did not advanceNora GjakovaWomen's –57 kgW 01–00W 11–00W 10–00W 10–00Loriana KukaWomen's –78 kgL 00–10 Did not advance
Shooting
Kosovo received an invitation from the Tripartite Commission to send a men's rifle shooter to the Olympics, as long as the minimum qualifying score (MQS) was met.
Athlete Event Qualification Final Points Rank Points Rank Drilon Ibrahimi Men's 10 m air rifle608.846Did not advance
Swimming
Kosovo received a universality invitation from FINA to send two top-ranked swimmers (one per gender) in their respective individual events to the Olympics, based on the FINA Points System of June 28, 2021.
AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankOlt KondirolliMen's 100 m freestyle54.3364Did not advanceEda ZeqiriWomen's 400 m freestyle4:38.0224colspan=2 Did not advance
Wrestling
Kosovo qualified one wrestler for the men's freestyle 125 kg, by acknowledging a license from the United World Wrestling, following the disqualification of two wrestlers for anti-doping rules violations. Moreover, these Games marked the country's debut in the sport.
Freestyle Athlete Event Round of 16 Quarterfinal Semifinal Repechage Final / OppositionResult OppositionResult OppositionResult OppositionResult OppositionResult Rank Egzon Shala Men's −125 kgW 5−0 VTL 1–4 SPDid not advance7
References