Briken Calja

Briken Calja
Personal information
Born (1990-02-19) 19 February 1990 (age 34)
Elbasan, Albania
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight69 kg (152 lb)
Military career
Allegiance Albania
Service / branchAlbanian Armed Forces
Years of service2022–[1]
Rank Colonel
Sport
Country Albania
SportWeightlifting
Event69 kg
Medal record
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2021 Tashkent -73 kg
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Bucharest -69 kg
Silver medal – second place 2019 Batumi -73 kg
Silver medal – second place 2021 Moscow -73 kg

Briken Calja (born 19 February 1990, Elbasan) is an Albanian weightlifter,[2] Olympian, and European Champion competing in the 69 kg category until 2018 and 73 kg starting in 2018 after the International Weightlifting Federation reorganized the categories.[3] He won the silver medal in the men's 73 kg event at the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.[4]

Career

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Calja competed for Albania at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where he finished 9th in his weight class after lifting a total weight of 320 kg.[5] In 2013 Calja was suspended for two years for using androsterone.[6]

He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in 69kg division where he finished in 5th place after lifting 326 kg.[7] In 2018 Calja became European champion in the 2018 European Weightlifting Championships in Bucharest.[8]

Major results

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Year Venue Weight Snatch (kg) Clean & Jerk (kg) Total Rank
1 2 3 Rank 1 2 3 Rank
Representing  Albania
Olympic Games
2012 England London, England 69 kg 143 146 146 8 173 174 177 6 320 6
2016 Brazil Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 69 kg 145 151 151 7 175 181 184 5 326 5
2020 Japan Tokyo, Japan 73 kg 151 151 155 7 184 188 190 4 341 4
World Championships
2006 Dominican Republic Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 62 kg 110 115 116 24 140 145 145 29 256 28
2010 Turkey Antalya, Turkey 69 kg 135 140 145 13 167 172 173 14 307 11
2011 France Paris, France 69 kg 140 140 145 15 170 170 172 19 312 15
2015 United States Houston, United States 69 kg 143 143 143 12 177 183 187 7 326 7
2017 United States Anaheim, United States 69 kg 142 145 146 4 175 180 180 5 317 4
2018 Turkmenistan Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 73 kg 148 153 157 6 181 186 189 7 339 6
2019 Thailand Pattaya, Thailand 73 kg 151 156 — 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 181 190 190 13 337 5
2021 Uzbekistan Tashkent, Uzbekistan 73 kg 152 154 156 1st place, gold medalist(s) 182 186 190 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 342 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
European Championships
2008 Italy Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy 69 kg 125 130 135 10 160 160 160 14 295 13
2009 Romania Bucharest, Romania 69 kg 130 133 137 9 157 163 — 13 290 10
2012 Turkey Antalya, Turkey 69 kg 140 145 146 4 170 175 177 8 315 6
2013 Albania Tirana, Albania 69 kg 142 142 142 — 173 174 177 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) — —
2016 Norway Førde, Norway 69 kg 142 145 147 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 177 178 178 — — —
2017 Croatia Split, Croatia 69 kg 145 145 145 — 170 175 178 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) — —
2018 Romania Bucharest, Romania 69 kg 141 143 146 1st place, gold medalist(s) 171 175 175 1st place, gold medalist(s) 321 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2019 Georgia (country) Batumi, Georgia 73 kg 152 156 160 1st place, gold medalist(s) 183 183 188 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 339 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2021 Russia Moscow, Russia 73 kg 152 157 157 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 183 184 188 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 336 2nd place, silver medalist(s)

References

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  1. ^ "Triumfi historik i Luiza Gegës si pasqyrë e mexhelisit tonë social-politik" [The historic triumph of Luiza Gega as a reflection of our social-political mexelis] (in Albanian). Prime Minister's Office (Albania). 25 August 2022. Sportistët e punësuar aktualisht pranë Ministrisë së Mbrojtjes, që do të përfitojnë nga ky ligj gradën e kolonelit janë: 1. Luiza GEGA – "Kolonel", 2. Briken CALJA – "Kolonel", 3. Nora GJAKOVA – "Kolonel", 4. Distria KRASNIQI – "Kolonel"
  2. ^ "Briken Calja Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  3. ^ "PDF listing of 2018 Group A world championship entrants in 73 kg" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  4. ^ Oliver, Brian (10 December 2021). "Weightlifter Calja agonisingly close to becoming Albania's first world champion in any sport". InsideTheGames.biz. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  5. ^ London 2012 Archived 2012-08-01 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Sanctioned Athletes / Athlete Support Personnel". International Weightlifting Federation. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Rio 2016". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  8. ^ Oculus News (31 May 2018). "Briken Calja Europe Champion in Weightlifting with 3 gold medals". Retrieved 31 May 2018.
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