{{Short description|Albanian weightlifter (born 1990)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox sportsperson | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|2|19|df=yes}} | birth_place = Elbasan, Albania | height = 1.70 m | weight = 69 kg | country = {{ALB}} | sport = Weightlifting | event = 69 kg | medaltemplates = {{MedalCompetition|World Championships}} {{MedalSilver|2021 Tashkent|-73 kg}} {{MedalCompetition|European Championships}} {{MedalGold|2018 Bucharest|-69 kg}} {{MedalSilver|2019 Batumi|-73 kg}} {{MedalSilver|2021 Moscow|-73 kg}} {{MedalSilver|2026 Batumi|-79 kg}} <!-- Military --> | module = {{Infobox military person | embed = yes | allegiance = {{ALB}} | branch = Albanian Armed Forces | service_years = 2022–<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kryeministria.al/newsroom/triumfi-historik-i-luiza-geges-si-pasqyre-e-mexhelisit-tone-social-politik/|title=Triumfi historik i Luiza Gegës si pasqyrë e mexhelisit tonë social-politik|trans-title=The historic triumph of Luiza Gega as a reflection of our social-political mexelis|quote=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"|language=Albanian|publisher=Prime Minister's Office (Albania)|date=25 August 2022}}</ref> | rank = 25px Colonel }} }} '''Briken Calja''' (born 19 February 1990, Elbasan) is an Albanian weightlifter,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ca/briken-calja-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418114806/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ca/briken-calja-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-04-18|title=Briken Calja Bio, Stats, and Results|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=2019-03-10}}</ref> Olympian, and European Champion competing in the 69 kg category until 2018 and 73 kg starting in 2018 after the International Weightlifting Federation reorganized the categories.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ashgabat2018.com/img/startlistv2/M73A.pdf |title=PDF listing of 2018 Group A world championship entrants in 73 kg |access-date=2019-04-09 |archive-date=2018-12-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210202705/http://ashgabat2018.com/img/startlistv2/M73A.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> He won the silver medal in the men's 73 kg event at the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.<ref name="weightlifter_calja_agonisingly_close_to_becoming_albanias_first_world_champion_in_any_sport_2021">{{Cite news|last=Oliver|first=Brian|date=10 December 2021|title=Weightlifter Calja agonisingly close to becoming Albania's first world champion in any sport|work=InsideTheGames.biz|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1116665/weightlifting-iwf-world-champs-calja|access-date=11 December 2021}}</ref>
==Career== Calja competed for Albania at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where he finished 9th in his weight class after lifting a total weight of 320 kg.<ref>[http://www.london2012.com/athlete/calja-briken-1058967/ London 2012] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120801005856/http://www.london2012.com/athlete/calja-briken-1058967/ |date=2012-08-01 }}</ref> In 2013 Calja was suspended for two years for using androsterone.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iwf.net/anti-doping/sanctions/|title=Sanctioned Athletes / Athlete Support Personnel|website=International Weightlifting Federation|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-10|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401065956/https://www.iwf.net/anti-doping/sanctions/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in 69kg division where he finished in 5th place after lifting 326 kg.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/weightlifting-standings-wl-mens-69kg |title=Rio 2016 |website=Rio 2016 |access-date=2016-08-31 |url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826102000/https://www.rio2016.com/en/weightlifting-standings-wl-mens-69kg |archivedate=2016-08-26 }}</ref> In 2018 Calja became European champion in the 2018 European Weightlifting Championships in Bucharest.<ref name="Oculus News">{{cite news |last1=Oculus News |title=Briken Calja Europe Champion in Weightlifting with 3 gold medals |url=http://www.ocnal.com/2018/03/briken-calja-europe-champion-in.html |accessdate=31 May 2018 |date=31 May 2018}}</ref>
==Major results== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan=2 width=40 | Year ! rowspan=2 width=250 | Venue ! rowspan=2 width=60 | Weight ! colspan=4 | Snatch (kg) ! colspan=4 | Clean & Jerk (kg) ! rowspan=2 width=60 | Total ! rowspan=2 width=40 | Rank |- ! width=60 | 1 ! width=60 | 2 ! width=60 | 3 ! width=45 | Rank ! width=60 | 1 ! width=60 | 2 ! width=60 | 3 ! width=45 | Rank |- ! colspan=13|Representing {{ALB}} |- ! colspan=13 | Olympic Games |- | 2012 || align=left | {{flag icon|GBR}} London, United Kingdom || 69 kg || '''143''' || <s>146</s> || <s>146</s> || 8 || 173 || 174 || '''177''' || 6 ||'''320''' || 6 |- | 2016 || align=left | {{flag icon|BRA}} Rio de Janeiro, Brazil || 69 kg || '''145''' || <s>151</s> || <s>151</s> || 7 || 175 || '''181''' || <s>184</s> || 5 || '''326''' || 5 |- | 2020 || align=left | {{flag icon|JPN}} Tokyo, Japan || 73 kg || <s>151</s> || '''151''' || <s>155</s> || 7 || 184 || <s>188</s> || '''190''' || 4 || '''341''' || 4 |- ! colspan=15|World Championships |- | 2006 || align=left| {{flagicon|DOM}} Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic || 62 kg || 110 || <s>115</s> || '''116''' || 24 || '''140''' || <s>145</s> || <s>145</s> || 29 || '''256''' || 28 |- | 2010 || align=left | {{flag icon|TUR}} Antalya, Turkey || 69 kg || 135 || '''140''' || <s>145</s> || 13 || '''167''' || <s>172</s> || <s>173</s> || 14 || '''307''' || 11 |- | 2011 || align=left | {{flag icon|FRA}} Paris, France || 69 kg || <s>140</s> || '''140''' || <s>145</s> || 15 || <s>170</s> || <s>170</s> || '''172''' || 19 || '''312''' || 15 |- | 2015 || align=left | {{flag icon|USA}} Houston, United States || 69 kg || <s>143</s> || <s>143</s> || '''143''' || 12 || 177 || '''183''' || <s>187</s> || 7 || '''326''' || 7 |- | 2017 || align=left| {{flagicon|USA}} Anaheim, United States || 69 kg || '''142''' || <s>145</s> || <s>146</s> || 4 || '''175''' || <s>180</s> || <s>180</s> || 5 || '''317''' || 4 |- |2018 || align=left| {{flagicon|TKM}} Ashgabat, Turkmenistan || 73 kg || 148 || '''153''' || <s>157</s> || 6 || 181 || '''186''' || <s>189</s> || 7 || '''339''' || 6 |- | 2019 || align=left | {{flag icon|THA}} Pattaya, Thailand || 73 kg || 151 || '''156''' || — || {{bronze3}} || 181 || <s>190</s> || <s>190</s> || 13 || '''337''' || 5 |- | 2021 || align=left | {{flag icon|UZB}} Tashkent, Uzbekistan || 73 kg || 152 || 154 || '''156''' || {{Gold1}} || 182 || '''186''' || <s>190</s> || {{Silver2}} || '''342''' || {{Silver2}} |- ! colspan=13|European Championships |- | 2008 || align=left | {{flagicon|ITA}} Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy || 69 kg || 125 || 130 || '''135''' || 10 || <s>160</s> || <s>160</s> || '''160''' || 14 || '''295''' || 13 |- | 2009 || align=left| {{flagicon|ROU}} Bucharest, Romania || 69 kg || <s>130</s> || '''133''' || <s>137</s> || 9 || '''157''' || <s>163</s> || — || 13 || '''290''' || 10 |- | 2012 || align=left| {{flagicon|TUR}} Antalya, Turkey || 69 kg || 140 || '''145''' || <s>146</s> || 4 || '''170''' || <s>175</s> ||<s>177</s>|| 8 || '''315''' || 6 |- | 2013 || align=left| {{flagicon|ALB}} Tirana, Albania || 69 kg || <s>142</s> || <s>142</s> || <s>142</s> || — || <s>173</s> || '''174''' || <s>177</s> || {{bronze3}} || — || — |- | 2016 || align=left | {{flagicon|NOR}} Førde, Norway || 69 kg || 142 || '''145''' || <s>147</s> || {{bronze3}} || <s>177</s> || <s>178</s> || <s>178</s> || — || — || — |- | 2017 || align=left | {{flagicon|CRO}} Split, Croatia || 69 kg || <s>145</s> || <s>145</s> || <s>145</s> || — || 170 || '''175''' || <s>178</s> || {{bronze3}} || — || — |- | 2018 || align=left | {{flagicon|ROM}} Bucharest, Romania || 69 kg || 141 || 143 || '''146''' || {{Gold1}} || 171 || <s>175</s> || '''175''' || {{Gold1}} || '''321''' || {{Gold1}} |- | 2019 || align=left | {{flagicon|GEO}} Batumi, Georgia || 73 kg || 152 || '''156''' || <s>160</s>|| {{gold1}} || <s>183</s> || '''183''' || <s>188</s> || {{silver2}} || '''339''' || {{silver2}} |- | 2021 || align=left | {{flagicon|RUS}} Moscow, Russia || 73 kg || '''152''' || <s>157</s> || <s>157</s> || {{bronze3}} || <s>183</s> || '''184''' || <s>188</s> || {{silver2}} || '''336''' || {{silver2}} |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{sports links}}
{{Authority control}} {{S-start}} {{s-sports|oly}} {{succession box | before = Suela Mehilli | title = Flagbearer for {{ALB}} | years = Tokyo 2020<br />with <br />Luiza Gega | after = Denni Xhepa }} {{S-end}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Calja, Briken}} Category:Albanian male weightlifters Category:Weightlifters at the 2012 Summer Olympics Category:Weightlifters at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic weightlifters for Albania Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Doping cases in weightlifting Category:Albanian sportspeople in doping cases Category:Sportspeople from Elbasan Category:Mediterranean Games silver medalists for Albania Category:Mediterranean Games medalists in weightlifting Category:Competitors at the 2009 Mediterranean Games Category:European Weightlifting Championships medalists Category:Weightlifters at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:European champions for Albania Category:World Weightlifting Championships medalists Category:21st-century Albanian sportsmen