Retirement from international judo competition

On 7 December 2021, Majlinda Kelmendi announced her retirement from international judo competition, closing out a career widely regarded as the most successful in Kosovo's sporting history. Her retirement came after a career that included an Olympic gold medal (Rio 2016), two senior World Judo Championships titles (2013, 2014), a Junior World Championship title (2010), and four European Championships titles.

Her decision to step away from competition marked the end of an era for Kosovar judo, during which she had almost single-handedly elevated the sport's international profile in her home country. Kelmendi had continued competing after Rio 2016, including an appearance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (held in 2021 due to pandemic delays), before deciding to retire and shift her focus toward coaching and mentoring the next generation of Kosovar judokas at the club she helped build in Peja.

Her retirement was covered by specialty judo media and international outlets alike, reflecting her stature as one of the sport's most accomplished competitors of her generation. Kelmendi's legacy as a trailblazer extended beyond her own medals; she directly influenced and trained other Kosovar Olympic medalists, including Distria Krasniqi and Nora Gjakova, both of whom won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, continuing the legacy she began in Rio. Her retirement announcement was widely seen as the closing chapter of Kosovo's founding generation of Olympic judo champions.