Albania competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's seventh appearance at the Olympics since its debut in 1972. The National Olympic Committee of Albania sent a total of 11 athletes to the Games, seven men and four women, to compete in four sports. Weightlifter Hysen Pulaku was officially removed from the team on the first day, after failing a drug test for the banned anabolic steroid substance, as announced by the International Olympic Committee.[1] Albania, however, has yet to win its first ever Olympic medal.
The Albanians competed in five sports with the same number of athletes like they did at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing in China.
This time around they couldn't improve on their previous achievements as they didn't future their two Wrestlers in Elis Guri and Sahit Prizreni.[2]
In Weightlifting Albania initially competed with four athletes three men and one female. Briken Calja had the best result for Albania as he finished 6th in his debut for Albania lifting 320 kg in total.[5]Romela Begaj competed for the second time for Albania but this time she wasn't able to improve on her result from the previous olympics as she finished 9th in the end.
Albania had not initially qualified a judoka, but due to the International Olympic Committee's refusal to allow Kosovars of Albanian ethnicity to represent Kosovo or to compete as independent athletes, Majlinda Kelmendi represented Albania at the 2012 Summer Olympics.[7]
^ The Albanian weightlifter, Erkand Qerimaj, resulted positive in the anti-doping test at the European Championship in Antalya, where he was found European Champion for 77 kg.[10] He provisionally is suspended and replaced by Endri Karina.[11]