National Team
ESMOND MARKU WINS TWO BRONZE MEDALS AT THE EUROPEAN U15 CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Albanian talent shone in the 65 kg category, finishing third in both the snatch and the total. At only 15 years old, Marku confirmed the enormous potential of Albania’s new generation of weightlifters.
Albanian weightlifting continues to produce promising talents and international medals. Esmond Marku delivered an excellent performance at the European Youth and U15 Weightlifting Championships, being held in Pristina from August 20–27, 2026, winning two bronze medals in the men’s U15 65 kg category.
The Albanian athlete competed with confidence in an intense contest that was decided only during the final attempts. Facing strong opponents from Georgia and Bulgaria, Marku demonstrated composure, character and the ability to perform under the pressure of a major European competition.
Two medals for Albania
In the snatch, Esmond Marku successfully lifted 101 kg, earning third place and the bronze medal.
In the clean and jerk, the Albanian completed a lift of 120 kg and finished fourth, narrowly missing another medal in the individual discipline.
With a combined total of 221 kg, Marku secured third place in Europe and his second bronze medal of the competition.
Esmond Marku’s results:
101 kg in the snatch — third place and bronze medal 120 kg in the clean and jerk — fourth place 221 kg total — third place and bronze medal A highly competitive podium
The European title in the men’s U15 65 kg category was won by Georgia’s Levani Dzimtseishvili, who lifted 108 kg in the snatch and 128 kg in the clean and jerk for a combined total of 236 kg.
Bulgaria’s Milen Komarevski claimed the silver medal with 105 kg in the snatch, 127 kg in the clean and jerk and a total of 232 kg.
Marku completed the podium with 221 kg. He finished 11 kg behind the silver medalist and 15 kg behind the European champion—figures that demonstrate both the exceptional quality of the competition and the Albanian youngster’s considerable potential for further development.
Place Athlete Country Snatch Clean and Jerk Total 1 Levani Dzimtseishvili Georgia 108 kg 128 kg 236 kg 2 Milen Komarevski Bulgaria 105 kg 127 kg 232 kg 3 Esmond Marku Albania 101 kg 120 kg 221 kg A talented 15-year-old
According to the official European Weightlifting Federation documentation, Esmond Marku was born on February 17, 2011. He entered the competition with a declared total of 225 kg, placing him among the leading podium contenders even before the contest began.
Although he finished with 221 kg—four kilograms below his entry total—Marku achieved the main objective: reaching the European podium and winning two valuable medals for Albania.
Recognition for the coaching staff and federation
Following the competition, the cooperation with coach Sokol Bishanaku was also praised, as they shared both the emotions and responsibility surrounding Esmond’s performance.
This success provides another positive indication of the work being carried out by the Albanian Weightlifting Federation with the country’s younger generation. Albania is developing a group of athletes capable of competing with Europe’s strongest weightlifting schools and challenging for medals from an early age.
Winning two bronze medals in such a highly competitive category represents more than an impressive result on the day. It is a promise for the future of both Esmond Marku and Albanian weightlifting.
Congratulations, Esmond! The podium in Pristina may be only the beginning of a career filled with success.