# Izmir Smajlaj

Izmir Smajlaj (born 29 March 1993) is an Albanian athlete who specialises in the long jump. He won the gold medal at the 2017 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, the first gold medal for his country at a major athletics competition, setting a new national and personal record of 8.08 metres in 2017.
His personal bests in the long jump are:
* 8.16 metres outdoors (NWI, 2021) in Tirana. (new national record)
* 8.11 metres outdoors (–0.7 m/s wind, 2019) in Shkodër. (new national record)
* 8.08 metres indoors (2017) – First place in long jump competition, gold medal at the European Athletics Indoor Championships, Belgrade, Serbia
* 7.93 metres indoors (2018) – First place in long jump competition, gold medal at the Balkan Indoor Championships, Istanbul, Turkey
* 7.89 metres outdoors (2018) – First place in long jump competition, gold medal and best olympic athlete of the match at the Albanian Athletics Outdoor Championships, Elbasan, Albania
* 7.89 metres outdoors (2018) – 7.83 metres outdoors ( 2024 )
In addition, in the triple jump, he has a personal best of 16.30 metres outdoors (-0.2 m/s wind; 2016; Elbasan, Albania) and 15.15 metres indoors (2014; Tirana, Albania). All the first three marks are current national records.
In 2023, the president and general secretary of the Albanian Athletics Federation were banned by the Athletics Integrity Unit for manipulating one of Smajlaj's 2021 results that earned him a universality placement at the Tokyo Olympics. Smajlaj was cleared of wrongdoing.

## International competitions

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
| Representing Albania ||||||
| 2012 | World Junior Championships | Barcelona, Spain | – | Long jump | NM |
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 24th (q) | Long jump | 7.55 m |
| 2014 | European Championships | Zürich, Switzerland | 22nd (q) | Long jump | 7.56 m |
| 2016 | Championships of the Small States of Europe | Marsa, Malta | 2nd | Long jump | 7.57 m |
| 2016 | European Championships | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 9th | Long jump | 7.75 m |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 21st (q) | Long jump | 7.72 m |
| 2017 | European Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 1st | Long jump | 8.08 m |
| 2018 | Balkan Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 1st | Long jump | 7.80 m |
| 2018 | Mediterranean Games | Tarragona, Spain | 4th | Long jump | 7.85 m |
| 2018 | European Championships | Berlin, Germany | 10th | Long jump | 7.83 m |
| 2018 | Championships of the Small States of Europe | Schaan, Liechtenstein | 1st | Long jump | 7.90 m |
| 2019 | Balkan Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 2nd | Long jump | 7.70 m |
| 2020 | Balkan Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 1st | Long jump | 7.91 m |
| 2021 | Balkan Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 1st | Long jump | 7.91 m |
| 2021 | Championships of the Small states of Europe | Serravalle, San Marino | 1st | Long jump | 7.90 m |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 17th (q) | Long jump | 7.86 m |
| 2022 | Balkan Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 1st | Long jump | 7.79 m |
| 2024 | European Championships | Rome, Italy | 21st (q) | Long jump | 7.78 m |
| 2024 | Championships of the Small States of Europe | Gibraltar | 1st | Long jump | 7.83 m |