Albania’s Carja becomes triple World Champion at just 17

Prime Minister Edi Rama congratulated the Albanian weightlifter Enkileda Carja, who was crowned world champion at the Youth World Weightlifting Championships (U-17), currently being held in Lima, the capital of Peru.

In a social media post, Rama shared moments from Carja’s performance at the World Weightlifting Championship, CE Report quotes ATA.

"The great talent of Albanian weightlifting, Enkileda Carja, is crowned Triple World Champion and breaks 3 European youth records. At the World Championship taking place in Lima, Peru, Enkileda also won a bronze medal in the U-20 category. Gratitude, respect, ovations — proud of Albania," Rama wrote.

This is the first time Albania has won a gold medal in a youth competition of this level. Carja dominated the platform and, in addition to winning world titles in the snatch, clean & jerk, and total, she also broke three European records by lifting even higher weights.

Weightlifter Carja lifted 94, 97, and 98 kilograms in the snatch, earning her first gold medal. She then triumphed in the clean & jerk, successfully completing lifts of 110, 113, and 115 kilograms. With a total of 213 kilograms, the red-and-black athlete also collected the gold medal for the total, finishing as a triple world champion in the U-17 category.