ENKILEDA CARJA WINS BRONZE FOR ALBANIA AT TARANTO 2026

Enkileda Carja delivered another medal for Albania at the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games, winning bronze in the women’s 69 kg snatch competition.

The Team Albania athlete produced a courageous performance, competing with determination against some of the Mediterranean’s leading weightlifters. Carja completed two of her three attempts successfully to secure third place on the podium.

Two successful lifts and an attempt at gold

Carja opened the competition by successfully lifting 98 kilograms.

On her second attempt, the Albanian weightlifter raised the bar to 100 kg and completed another clean lift. That result ultimately secured the bronze medal.

However, Enkileda was not satisfied with simply reaching the podium. For her final attempt, she requested 103 kg—a lift that would have put her in contention for gold.

Although she was unable to complete the attempt, her decision to challenge for first place demonstrated the young athlete’s ambition and competitive character.

Italy’s Giulia Miserendino won gold with 102 kg, while Egypt’s Roufida Fathi Taha Abdeltawwab claimed silver with 101 kg. Carja completed the podium with her 100 kg result.

Difficulties in the clean and jerk

The clean and jerk did not go according to plan for the Albanian weightlifter.

Carja successfully completed her opening attempt at 116 kg but was unable to lift 121 and 122 kg on her final two attempts. She consequently finished seventh in the discipline.

Nevertheless, her bronze medal in the snatch remains a significant achievement for both Carja and Albanian weightlifting.

Emotions ran high at the end of the competition. Enkileda left the platform in tears, perhaps disappointed that she had been unable to achieve more in the clean and jerk.

Yet at only 18 years old, reaching the Mediterranean Games podium represents an important success and another major step forward in her career.

A champion from an early age

Born on January 23, 2008, Enkileda Carja began winning international medals during the earliest stages of her career.

At the 2023 World Youth Championships in Durrës, she won bronze medals in both the snatch and combined total in the 59 kg category. Carja lifted 87 kg in the snatch and 100 kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 187 kg.

One year later, at the 2024 European Youth Championships in Thessaloniki, she became European champion in the snatch and won silver in the combined total. She recorded 86 kg in the snatch and 104 kg in the clean and jerk for a 190 kg total.

Carja continued her rise in 2025, impressing at the European Youth Championships and the Islamic Solidarity Games.

In Riyadh, she won two silver medals and established two age-group world records, lifting 97 kg in the snatch and 116 kg in the clean and jerk for a combined total of 213 kg.

Another medal for Albania

Enkileda Carja’s bronze was Albania’s sixth medal at Taranto 2026. At that point in the Games, the Albanian delegation had collected two gold medals, one silver and three bronze.

Her success provides further evidence of the considerable potential within Albania’s new generation of weightlifters.

Enkileda Carja is no longer merely a promising talent. With World Championship medals, European titles, records and now a Mediterranean Games medal, she is gradually establishing herself as one of the most important athletes in Albania’s sporting future.

In Taranto, Enkileda lifted 100 kilograms above her head—and raised Albania onto the podium once again.