Luiza Gega

Luiza Gega (born 5 November 1988)^[2] is an Albanian middle- and long-distance runner who specialises in the 3000 metres steeplechase. She is the 2023 European Games and 2022 European Championships champion in 3000 metres steeplechase. She is the national record holder in 3000 metres steeplechase, 800 metres, 1500 metres, 3000 metres, 5000 metres, 10,000 metres, and marathon.^[3]

Luiza Gega

Gega at the 2019 ISTAF Berlin meet
Personal information
Born	(1988-11-05) 5 November 1988 (age 36) Okshtun, Dibër, Albania
Height	1.59 m (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Weight	45 kg (99 lb)
Military career
Branch	Albanian Armed Forces
Years of service	2022–[1]
Rank	Colonel
Sport
Country	Albania
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	3000m steeplechase Middle-, Long-distance running
Coached by	Taulant Stërmasi
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Albania European Games 2023 Kraków-Małopolska 3000 m s'chase European Championships 2022 Munich 3000 m s'chase 2016 Amsterdam 3000 m s'chase Mediterranean Games 2018 Tarragona 3000 m s'chase 2022 Oran 3000 m s'chase 2013 Mersin 1500 m Summer Universiade 2013 Kazan 1500 m

Luiza Gega races the 2000 m steeplechase at the 2019 ISTAF Berlin meet

Career

Gega began athletics when she was 14 years old.^[4]

Gega represented Albania at the 2013 Mediterranean Games and won the silver medal in 1500 metres.^[5] She then competed at the 2013 Summer Universiade and initially finished third in the 1500 metres.^[6] She was later awarded the gold medal after both Yekaterina Sharmina and Yelena Korobkina were disqualified due to doping violations.^[7][8]

Gega won the silver medal in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2016 European Championships. This was Albania's first ever medal at the European Athletics Championships.^[9] She then represented Albania at the 2016 Summer Olympics in 3000 metres steeplechase but did not advance beyond the heats.^[10] She was Albania's flagbearer in the opening ceremonies.^[11]

Gega won the gold medal in 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2018 Mediterranean Games.^[12] She then placed fourth in the same event at the 2018 European Championships.^[13]

Gega placed ninth in 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2019 World Championships and set the national record time in the final.^[14] She represented Albania at the 2020 Summer Olympics in 3000 metres steeplechase and qualified for the final where she finished 13th.^[15][16] She once again was Albania's flagbearer in the opening ceremonies.^[17]

At the 2022 Balkan Championships, Gega set the championship and national record in the 5000 metres, winning the gold medal. She also set the championship record in the 3000 metres steeplechase to win another gold medal.^[18][19] She then won the gold medal in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2022 Mediterranean Games and set a new national record.^[20] She qualified for the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2022 World Championships and finished fifth, setting another new national record in the process.^[21] Then at the 2022 European Championships, she won Albania's first-ever European gold medal and set a new championship record in 3000 metres steeplechase.^[9][22]

Gega finished eighth in the 3000 metres steeplechase final at the 2023 World Championships.^[23] She then placed fifth in the 3000 metres steeplechase final at the 2024 European Championships.^[24] She represented Albania at the 2024 Summer Olympics but did not advance beyond the heats in 3000 metres steeplechase.^[25]

Competition record

Representing  Albania

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
2011	European Indoor Championships	Paris, France	17th (h)	800 m	2:08.75
	Universiade	Shenzhen, China	7th (sf)	800 m	2:04.13
	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	28th (h)	800 m	2:03.21
2012	World Indoor Championships	Istanbul, Turkey	13th (h)	1500 m	4:13.45
	European Championships	Helsinki, Finland	13th (h)	1500 m	4:12.54
2013	European Indoor Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	–	800 m	DQ
	Mediterranean Games	Mersin, Turkey	4th	800 m	2:01.96 NR
			2nd	1500 m	4:05.63
	Universiade	Kazan, Russia	2nd	1500 m	4:08.71
	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	19th (sf)	1500 m	4:08.79
2014	World Indoor Championships	Sopot, Poland	6th	1500 m	4:08.24
	European Championships	Zürich, Switzerland	11th (h)	1500 m	4:12.25
2015	European Games[a]	Baku, Azerbaijan	2nd	800 m	2:02.36
			1st	1500 m	4:11.58
	World Championships	Beijing, China	21st (h)	1500 m	4:09.36
2016	World Indoor Championships	Portland, OR, United States	16th (h)	1500 m	4:16.12
	European Championships	Amsterdam, Netherlands	2nd	3000 m s'chase	9:28.52 NR
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	48th (h)	3000 m s'chase	9:58.49
2017	European Indoor Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	5th	1500 m	4:11.64
2018	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	17th (h)	1500 m	4:10.65
	Mediterranean Games	Tarragona, Spain	1st	3000 m s'chase	9:27.73
	European Championships	Berlin, Germany	4th	3000 m s'chase	9:24.78
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	9th	3000 m s'chase	9:19.93 NR
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	13th	3000 m s'chase	9:34.10 (SB h)
2022	World Indoor Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	13th	3000 m	8:53.14
	Balkan Championships	Craiova, Romania	1st	5000 m	15:16.47 CR NR
			1st	3000 m s'chase	9:17.89 CR
	Mediterranean Games	Oran, Algeria	1st	3000 m s'chase	9:14.29 GR NR
	World Championships	Eugene, United States	5th	3000 m s'chase	9:10.04 NR
	European Championships	Munich, Germany	1st	3000 m s'chase	9:11.31 CR
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	8th	3000 m s'chase	9:10.27
2024	European Championships	Rome, Italy	5th	3000 m s'chase	9:22.92
	Olympic Games	Paris, France	27th (h)	3000 m s'chase	9:27.41

Personal bests

• 800 metres – 2:01.31 (Tbilisi 2014) NR
  • 800 metres indoor – 2:02.27 (Piraeus 2013) NR
• 1500 metres – 4:02.63 (Doha 2015) NR
  • 1500 metres indoor – 4:06.66 (Istanbul 2017) NR
• 3000 metres – 8:46.61 (Elbasan 2022) NR
  • 3000 metres indoor – 8:44.46 (Karlsruhe 2020) NR
• 5000 metres – 15:16.47 (Craiova 2022) NR
• 10,000 metres – 32:16.25 (Birmingham 2021) NR
• 2000 metres steeplechase – 5:56.79 (Zagreb 2023) NBP
• 3000 metres steeplechase – 9:09.64 (Zurich 2023) NR

Road

• 10 km – 33:43 (Tirana 2019)
• Half marathon – 1:11:17 (Luzern 2023)
• Marathon – 2:35:34 (Skopje 2020) NR

Notes

1. The third league of the 2015 European Team Championships