From Olympic Gold to the Coaching Mat: Nora Gjakova Begins New Chapter in Belgium

For a decade, Nora Gjakova was a symbol of resilience for Kosovo, a judoka who could turn a desperate defensive position into a gold-medal victory in a heartbeat. But after a career defined by the grueling demands of the -57 kg category, Gjakova has traded the competitive spotlight for the strategist’s clipboard.

In a move that signals a new era for European judo, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion has officially joined the Walloon Judo Federation in Belgium. Gjakova, who closed her competitive chapter at the end of 2025, is now stepping into a coaching role where she will work alongside Pedro Guedes to cultivate the next generation of Belgian talent.

As someone who has covered the Olympic Games and the highest echelons of international sport for over 15 years, I’ve seen many champions struggle with the “void” that follows retirement. However, Gjakova’s transition appears purposeful and swift. By moving into the Walloon system, she isn’t just finding a job; she is exporting the championship DNA that helped turn Kosovo into a global judo powerhouse.

The Transition to Wallonia

The announcement of Gjakova’s appointment as a coach in Wallonia came in early April 2026. Her partnership with Pedro Guedes is not a random pairing; the two coaches share a professional history, as Guedes previously spent a short tenure coaching in Kosovo. This existing rapport, combined with Gjakova’s multilingual capabilities, has allowed her to integrate quickly into the Belgian sporting landscape.

The goal is clear: leveraging Gjakova’s experience as a consistent podium finisher to elevate Belgian judoka. Gjakova brings a resume that is nearly peerless in the -57 kg division, including an Olympic gold, a European Championship title and a World Championship bronze. For the athletes in Wallonia, having a coach who has stood atop the Olympic podium provides a psychological edge that cannot be taught in a textbook.

The Mental Toll of Greatness

To understand why Gjakova chose this path, one must look at the hidden costs of her final Olympic cycle. While the world saw a flag bearer leading the Kosovo delegation at the Paris 2024 Games, the reality behind the scenes was far more taxing.

Five months before the Paris Games, Gjakova suffered a major injury that threatened to derail her career. The recovery process was an exercise in sheer willpower. To regain her form, she pushed her body to the limit, training up to six hours a day. While this intensity fueled her return to the mat in Paris, the mental exhaustion lingered long after the closing ceremonies.

“I was physically in good shape but mentally I was drained,” Gjakova explained following her retirement. She noted that while the pressure didn’t break her during the Olympics, the subsequent return to training triggered a crisis of passion. For the first time in her life, she found herself questioning the “why” behind the grind.

The breaking point came at the 2025 Paris Grand Slam. Despite winning a medal and proving she could still compete at the elite level, the victory felt hollow. Gjakova realized she no longer loved the competition in the way she once did. Rather than fading away or competing out of obligation, she chose to exit on her own terms, officially announcing her retirement on December 31, 2025.

A Pillar of the Kosovan Golden Era

Gjakova’s retirement marks the end of a specific epoch in sports history. Alongside Majlinda Kelmendi—who retired at the end of 2020—Gjakova defined a “golden era” for Kosovan judo. Together, they transformed a young nation into a respected force on the international circuit, proving that small countries could dominate a global sport through technical precision and mental toughness.

Her career statistics reflect a rare level of consistency:

• Olympic Games: Gold Medalist (Tokyo 2020/21)
• World Championships: Bronze Medalist (Budapest 2021)
• European Championships: Gold Medalist (Tel Aviv 2018)
• IJF World Tour: Eight gold medals and 33 total medals across Grand Prix and Grand Slam events

Beyond the hardware, Gjakova’s role as the flag bearer in Paris alongside her brother, Akil Gjakova, underscored her status as a national icon. In Kosovo, judo is more than a sport; We see a point of national identity and pride. Gjakova embodied these values through a style of judo characterized by resilience and humility.

The Shift in Perspective: Athlete vs. Coach

The transition from being coached to coaching is often the hardest jump in professional sports. For Gjakova, the primary difference has been the nature of the pressure. As an athlete, the burden of performance rested solely on her shoulders. As a coach, the responsibility shifts toward the growth and well-being of others.

In interviews, Gjakova has noted that while coaching is still time-consuming—often requiring her to oversee athletes training two or three times a day—the mental weight is different. She describes herself as feeling more relaxed and less pressured, suggesting that the “mental drain” she experienced as a competitor has been replaced by the satisfaction of mentorship.

For those unfamiliar with the structure of European judo, the Walloon Judo Federation serves as a critical pipeline for Belgian talent. By bringing in a coach of Gjakova’s caliber, Belgium is making a strategic investment in its technical depth, hoping to replicate the “Kosovo model” of producing consistent world-class medalists.

What Lies Ahead

The immediate focus for Gjakova is the integration of her training methodologies into the Belgian system. Having competed at the highest level of the International Judo Federation (IJF) World Tour, she possesses an intimate understanding of the current tactical trends in the -57 kg category and beyond.

While she has stepped away from the tatami as a competitor, Gjakova remains a pivotal figure in the sport. Her move to Belgium is not just a personal career shift, but a cross-pollination of sporting cultures that could benefit the broader European judo community.

The next major checkpoint for the Walloon Judo Federation will be the upcoming European circuit, where the impact of Gjakova’s coaching will first be measured by the performance of her pupils. For now, the woman who once carried the flag for her nation is content to guide others toward their own podium dreams.

Do you think former Olympic champions make the best coaches, or is the transition too difficult? Let us know in the comments below.