Briken Calja has given Albania another strong result at the Mediterranean Games taking place in Taranto, Italy. The Albanian weightlifter emerged with the gold medal in the up to 75-kilogram category, while also setting a new record for this competition in the snatch.
Record in the snatch with 154 kilograms
Calja secured the gold medal in the snatch after lifting 154 kilograms, a result that is also recorded as a new Mediterranean Games record.
His competition in this discipline began at 147 kilograms, a weight he cleared successfully. He then lifted 152 kilograms on his second attempt and finished with 154 kilograms on his third attempt.
Bronze in the clean and jerk after two failed attempts
In the clean and jerk, the Albanian weightlifter failed to lift 183 kilograms on his first attempt.
On his second attempt he managed 184 kilograms, while on the third he tried 187 kilograms, but without success. With the 184 kilograms lifted, Calja finished this discipline with the bronze medal.
Albania adds to its medal tally in Taranto
With Briken Calja’s results, Albania’s tally at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto rises to five medals in total.
According to the published data for the Albanian delegation, so far there have been two gold medals, one silver and one bronze from the competitions mentioned earlier, while the first three medals had come in wrestling.
Islam Dudaev won the gold medal, Zelimkhan Abakarov the silver, and Ardit Zeneli the bronze, placing wrestling among the sports that have carried the main weight of Albania’s tally at this event.
Calja’s victory comes as one of Albania’s most notable performances at this edition of the Mediterranean Games, not only for the gold medal but also for the record set in the snatch.
In a delegation seeking concrete results on the international stage, the weight of this success is directly reflected in the medal table and in the sporting profile of the Albanian team.