Andreja Leski, the third -63kg Olympic Champion from Slovenia, will be hanging up her competition judogi. She will make it official on Feb 14 at the Ljubljana European Open, according to the Slovenian Press Agency.
Leski was not the favorite for the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games. Her rival, France’s Clarisse Agbegnenou, was. But when they met in semifinal, it was Leski who emerged triumphant. This was a significant win for Leski, who had previously lost to Agbegnenou five times.
Her final match in the Olympics was a harrowing one. She was thrown in the opening moments of the match but she made a stunning comeback throwing and pinning her opponent, Prisca Awiti Alcaraz of Mexico, to win the gold.
Leski has never won a World title but came close twice, with a silver in 2021 and 2023. Both times, she had lost to Agbegnenou of France. She won the European Championships in 2023 and has won four gold medals in the IJF World Tour.
