| Klodiana Shala | |
| Height: | 1.68m |
| Birth Date: | 22 August 1979 |
| Birth Place: | Tirana, Albania |
| Nationality: | Albanian |
| Education: | Athletics teaching |
| Years Active: | 1997–2012 |
| Show-Medals: | yes |
Klodiana Shala (born 22 August 1979 in Tirana) is an Albanian track and field athlete who competes in the 200 metres and 400 metres sprints. Her personal bests are 23.27 and 52.86 seconds, respectively.
Klodiana Shala was the first athlete to qualify Albania for the final of a European athletics championship, in Gothenburg 2006. [1]
She is a four-time Olympic participant having represented Albania at the Olympics in 2000, 2004 (where she was also the flagbearer), 2008 and 2012.
Since November 2002, she has held a scholarship from the Olympic Solidarity program.
She was the 400 metres bronze medalist at the 2005 Mediterranean Games.
In recognition of her career and contributions to sports, Klodiana Shala was awarded the title of Grand Master (Mjeshtër i Madh) by the Albanian President in 2016.[2]
On 19 February 2020 the International Olympic Committee announced that the sample taken from Shala at the 2012 Olympic Games contained the banned doping substance of stanozolol.[3]
Shala is the national record holder in the 60m, 100m, 200m, 400m, and 400m steeplechase events.
| Representing | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | European Junior Championships | Nyíregyháza, Hungary | 14th (sf) | 400 m | 57.90 | |
| 15th (h) | 400 m hurdles | 62.65 | ||||
| 1997 | Mediterranean Games | Bari, Italy | 8th | 400 m hurdles | 62.46 | |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 52nd (h) | 400 m | 56.41 | |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | – | 400 m | DQ | |
| Mediterranean Games | Radès, Tunisia | 9th (h) | 200 m | 24.83 | ||
| 8th (h) | 400 m | 56.43[4] | ||||
| 2002 | European Championships | Munich, Germany | 24th (h) | 200 m | 24.93 | |
| 20th (h) | 400 m | 55.81 | ||||
| 2003 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 26th (h) | 400 m | 57.81 | |
| 2004 | World Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 23rd (h) | 400 m | 54.62 | |
| Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 33rd (h) | 400 m | 60.00 | ||
| 2005 | European Indoor Championships | Madrid, Spain | 10th (h) | 400 m | 53.60 | |
| Mediterranean Games | Almería, Spain | 3rd | 400 m | 53.23 | ||
| 4th | 400 m hurdles | 56.48 | ||||
| 2006 | European Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 16th (sf) | 200 m | 24.64 | |
| 18th (h) | 400 m | 52.86 | ||||
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 46th (h) | 400 m | 54.84 | |
| 2009 | European Indoor Championships | Turin, Italy | 20th (h) | 400 m | 55.70 | |
Klodiana Shala graduated from the Academy of Physical Education and Sports "Vojo Kushi" as a teacher in athletics. Additionally, she earned a master's degree in business management from the Mediterranean University.[5]
During the period of 2011-2020, she served as a lecturer at several universities, including the University of Tirana, Marin Barleti, and UET, where she also established the Sports Department for the first time.
Klodiana Shala is a licensed coach for Physical Preparation by the Albanian Football Association.