AKIL GJAKOVA
European Champion / 2x Olympian
The Road to LA 2028
Career Highlights
Major Golds
Olympic Games
Athlete of the Year
Career Medals
Road to LA 2028
Olympic Qualification System
- Top 18 athletes by world ranking qualify
- Based on 6 best results in qualification window
- 2-year qualification window starting June 2026
June 2026
Grand Slam Ulaanbaatar
Olympic qualification period begins
October 2026
World Championships
Major ranking event — double points available
2027
World Championships
Final Worlds before Olympic Games
July 2028
Olympic Games
The destination — third Olympic Games
Featured Videos
European Championship Gold — Montpellier 2023
Watch Akil's historic run to become Kosovo's first male European judo champion at the 2023 European Championships.
Olympic Highlights — Tokyo & Paris
A compilation of Akil's best Olympic moments, from his debut in Tokyo to his 5th-place finish in Paris.
The Road Ahead — Training for LA 2028
Go behind the scenes as Akil prepares for his third Olympic Games. Training, discipline, and the pursuit of a medal.
The Gjakova Legacy
Kosovo's three Olympic medals all come from judo — a remarkable feat for one of the world's youngest nations. Majlinda Kelmendi claimed gold at Rio 2016, then Distria Krasniqi and Nora Gjakova both stood atop the podium at Tokyo 2020, cementing judo as the heartbeat of Kosovar sport.
Akil and Nora Gjakova are siblings forged in the same dojo, both world-class judoka competing at the highest level. Trained at Ippon Judo Club under the guidance of legendary coach Driton Kuka, they carry the weight and pride of an entire nation on the mat.
“From Gjakova to the Olympic stage — two siblings, one dream, and a nation behind them.”
Nora carried Kosovo's flag at the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony, and Akil was chosen as flagbearer for Paris 2024 — a testament to their standing as icons of Kosovar athletics.