The 2016 Summer Olympics are the first as an independent nation for Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. It took another six years for the nation to be acknowledged by the International Olympic Committee, with the IOC granting Kosovo membership in 2014.
Sunday afternoon, one of the nation’s eight competitors in Rio assured the nation of (as of 2013) just over 1.8 million people it’s first Olympic medal.
Majlinda Kelmendi, competing in the women’s 52kg judo competition, advanced to the gold medal match with a win over Japan’s Misato Nakamura in the semifinal round.