Kelmendi wins gold in women's −52kg at the 2013 World Judo Championships in Rio, becoming Kosovo's first senior world judo champion.
On 27 August 2013, Majlinda Kelmendi captured her first senior World Judo Championships gold medal in the women's −52 kg division at the tournament held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Because Kosovo's independence was not yet universally recognized by the International Judo Federation at the time, Kelmendi competed under the flag of Albania, a nation with which she shares strong cultural and linguistic ties.
The victory made her the first-ever senior world judo champion from Kosovo, a landmark achievement for a country whose sporting institutions were still in the early stages of gaining international recognition following the 1998–99 war and 2008 declaration of independence. Her triumph provided a powerful symbol of resilience and excellence for Kosovar athletes navigating a fraught path toward recognition in global sport.
This title cemented Kelmendi's status as one of the leading judokas in the −52 kg weight class worldwide and set the stage for her sustained dominance in the category over the following years. It also significantly raised the international profile of Kosovan sport, paving the way for the country's eventual full recognition by the International Olympic Committee in 2014. The 2013 title remains a foundational moment in the narrative of Kosovo's emergence as an independent sporting nation.