Albania made its Olympic debut at the 1972 Munich Games, with weightlifter Ymer Pampuri setting a world record in the military press.
Key Facts
- Competitors
- 5 (4 men, 1 woman)
- Sports contested
- 2 (Shooting, Weightlifting)
- World record lift (military press)
- 127.5 kg
- Best finish
- 9th place – Ymer Pampuri, weightlifting
- First female Olympian for Albania
- Afërdita Tusha, flagbearer
- Top shooting score
- 594 points – Ismail Rama, rank 22
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Albania had previously abstained from Olympic competition, but by 1972 the country's sports authorities chose to enter the Munich Summer Games for the first time, fielding a small delegation across shooting and weightlifting disciplines.
Five Albanian athletes competed at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics in shooting and weightlifting. Shooter Afërdita Tusha served as flagbearer and became the first Albanian woman at the Olympics, while weightlifter Ymer Pampuri set a world record in the military press with a lift of 127.5 kg and achieved Albania's best placement of 9th overall.
Albania's debut produced immediate international recognition, particularly through Pampuri's world record. The participation established a foundation for future Albanian Olympic involvement and marked the country's formal entry into the modern Olympic movement.
Result
at Munich Olympic venues, Munich, West Germany