Location Peja, Kosovo
Artist Gillie and Marc Schattner
Majlinda Kelmendi, the first athlete from Kosovo to win an Olympic Games gold medal, unveiled a statue of herself in her hometown on Friday.
Kelmendi is a judoka. She won the 52-kilograms division at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. She's also a two-time world champion and four-time European champion.
Hundreds of people, including International Judo Federation president Marius Vizer, endured the rain to gather in Peja, 85 kilometers (50 miles) west of Pristina, to see the bronze statue of Kelmendi in a judogi preparing to fight.
“I strongly believe that the statue will motivate children in Kosovo to achieve successes in life like me,” the 28-year-old Kelmendi said.
