Luiza Gega

Luiza Gega

Gega at the 2019 ISTAF Berlin meet
Personal information
Born	(1988-11-05) 5 November 1988 (age 36) Okshtun, Dibër, Albania
Height	1.59 m (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Weight	45 kg (99 lb)
Military career
Service / branch	Albanian Armed Forces
Years of service	2022–[1]
Rank	Colonel
Sport
Country	Albania
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	3000m steeplechase Middle-, Long-distance running
Coached by	Taulant Stërmasi
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Albania European Games 2023 Kraków-Małopolska 3000 m s'chase European Championships 2022 Munich 3000 m s'chase 2016 Amsterdam 3000 m s'chase Mediterranean Games 2018 Tarragona 3000 m s'chase 2022 Oran 3000 m s'chase 2013 Mersin 1500 m Summer Universiade 2013 Kazan 1500 m

Luiza Gega races the 2000 m steeplechase at the 2019 ISTAF Berlin meet

Luiza Gega (born 5 November 1988)^[2] is an Albanian middle- and long-distance runner who specialises in the 3000 metres steeplechase since 2016.

Career

Gega won the silver medal in the event at the 2016 European Championships, and a gold in 2022 setting the championship record in the process. Her silver was the first ever Albania’s European medal, while her gold was the first ever title for the country at the European Athletics Championships.^[3]

Gega represented Albania at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, competing in the women's 3000 m steeplechase.^[4][5][6]

She competed at the 2019 World Athletics Championships, finishing ninth, and at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, finishing fifth, both in the 3000 metres steeplechase. In 2022 she became European Champion in that discipline, where previously, in 2016, she had been runner-up.

Gega is the Albanian record holder in the 800, 1500, 3000 (those three out and indoor), 5000, 10,000 metres, half-marathon and marathon distances as well as the 2000 and 3000 metres steeplechase.

Competition record

Representing  Albania

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
2011	European Indoor Championships	Paris, France	17th (h)	800 m	2:08.75
	Universiade	Shenzhen, China	7th (sf)	800 m	2:04.13
	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	28th (h)	800 m	2:03.21
2012	World Indoor Championships	Istanbul, Turkey	13th (h)	1500 m	4:13.45
	European Championships	Helsinki, Finland	13th (h)	1500 m	4:12.54
2013	European Indoor Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	–	800 m	DQ
	Mediterranean Games	Mersin, Turkey	4th	800 m	2:01.96 NR
			2nd	1500 m	4:05.63
	Universiade	Kazan, Russia	2nd	1500 m	4:08.71
	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	19th (sf)	1500 m	4:08.79
2014	World Indoor Championships	Sopot, Poland	6th	1500 m	4:08.24
	European Championships	Zürich, Switzerland	11th (h)	1500 m	4:12.25
2015	European Games[a]	Baku, Azerbaijan	2nd	800 m	2:02.36
			1st	1500 m	4:11.58
	World Championships	Beijing, China	21st (h)	1500 m	4:09.36
2016	World Indoor Championships	Portland, OR, United States	16th (h)	1500 m	4:16.12
	European Championships	Amsterdam, Netherlands	2nd	3000 m s'chase	9:28.52 NR
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	48th (h)	3000 m s'chase	9:58.49
2017	European Indoor Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	5th	1500 m	4:11.64
2018	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	17th (h)	1500 m	4:10.65
	Mediterranean Games	Tarragona, Spain	1st	3000 m s'chase	9:27.73
	European Championships	Berlin, Germany	4th	3000 m s'chase	9:24.78
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	9th	3000 m s'chase	9:19.93 NR
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	13th	3000 m s'chase	9:34.10 (SB h)
2022	World Indoor Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	13th	3000 m	8:53.14
	Balkan Championships	Craiova, Romania	1st	5000 m	15:16.47 CR NR
			1st	3000 m s'chase	9:17.89 CR
	Mediterranean Games	Oran, Algeria	1st	3000 m s'chase	9:14.29 GR NR
	World Championships	Eugene, United States	5th	3000 m s'chase	9:10.04 NR
	European Championships	Munich, Germany	1st	3000 m s'chase	9:11.31 CR
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	8th	3000 m s'chase	9:10.27
2024	European Championships	Rome, Italy	5th	3000 m s'chase	9:22.92
	Olympic Games	Paris, France	27th (h)	3000 m s'chase	9:27.41

Personal bests

• 800 metres – 2:01.31 (Tbilisi 2014) NR
  • 800 metres indoor – 2:02.27 (Piraeus 2013) NR
• 1500 metres – 4:02.63 (Doha 2015) NR
  • 1500 metres indoor – 4:06.66 (Istanbul 2017) NR
• 3000 metres – 8:46.61 (Elbasan 2022) NR
  • 3000 metres indoor – 8:44.46 (Karlsruhe 2020) NR
• 5000 metres – 15:16.47 (Craiova 2022) NR
• 10,000 metres – 32:16.25 (Birmingham 2021) NR
• 2000 metres steeplechase – 5:56.79 (Zagreb 2023) NBP
• 3000 metres steeplechase – 9:09.64 (Zurich 2023) NR

Road

• 10 km – 33:43 (Tirana 2019)
• Half marathon – 1:11:17 (Luzern 2023)
• Marathon – 2:35:34 (Skopje 2020) NR

Notes

1. The third league of the 2015 European Team Championships

References

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. "Luiza GEGA – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
3. "Auf Wiedersehen Munich! Hosts Germany's best championships this century". European Athletics. 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
4. "Athletics GEGA Luiza - Tokyo 2020 Olympics". olympics.com. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
5. "Athlete Luiza Gega crosses the 3000 m steeplechase final". Oculus News. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
6. Anonym. "Albanian athlete Luiza Gega finishes 13th in the world in the 3000m hurdles final | txtreport.com". www.txtreport.com. Retrieved 2021-10-16.

External links

• Luiza Gega at World Athletics
• Luiza Gega at Diamond League
• Luiza Gega at Olympics.com
• Luiza Gega at Olympedia

Olympic Games
Preceded by Romela Begaj	Flagbearer for  Albania Rio de Janeiro 2016 Tokyo 2020	Succeeded by Incumbent