Maria Pekli is an Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n judo

Judo

is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

ka of Hungarian

Hungary

Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

 descent. She was Australian Champion

Australian National Judo Championships

The Australian National Judo Championships are the highest level of judo competition in Australia. The championships are held annually by the Judo Federation of Australia, and qualified domestic and overseas judoka compete in their respective categories as representatives of their home states or...

 in the u/57 kg division for seven consecutive years, between 1997-2003.

She won a bronze medal in the lightweight (57 kg) division at the 2000 Summer Olympics

2000 Summer Olympics

The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...

, the first Australian woman to win an official Olympic Judo medal (although Sue Williams won a medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics

1988 Summer Olympics

The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...

 when Women's Judo was a demonstration sport).

Along with Cuba's Driulys González and Japan's Ryoko Tamura-Tani

Ryoko Tani

is one of the world's most famous and successful judoka. She was born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka. She was an employee at Toyota Motor Corporation, but is now entering politics.-Career:...

, Pekli became in 2008 the first female judoka to compete at five Olympics. The only other judokas to compete at five Olympics are Belgian Robert Van de Walle

Robert Van De Walle

Robert Van de Walle is a Belgian judoka. He was the first judoka to ever compete at five Olympics.He was born in Ostend....

 and Puerto Rican judoka-bobsledder Jorge Bonnet

Jorge Bonnet

Jorge L. Bonnet is a Puerto Rican judoka and bobsledder who competed at five Olympic Games. He competed in judo at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics, and in bobsleigh at the 1992, 1994, and 1998 Winter Olympics.-External links:*...

.

In 2011, Pekli was awarded Life Membership of Judo Australia for her contribution to the sport at the Australian National Judo Championships

Australian National Judo Championships

The Australian National Judo Championships are the highest level of judo competition in Australia. The championships are held annually by the Judo Federation of Australia, and qualified domestic and overseas judoka compete in their respective categories as representatives of their home states or...

.

Achievements

Year	Tournament	Place	Weight class
2008	Olympic Games Judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics Judo competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were held from August 9 to August 15 at the Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium....	5th	Lightweight (57 kg)
2003	World Judo Championships 2003 World Judo Championships The 2003 World Judo Championships were the 23rd edition of the World Judo Championships, and were held in Osaka, Japan from 11 September to 14 September 2003.-Men:-Women:- Medals table :-60 kg:14 September - Final-66 kg:13 September - Final...	5th	Lightweight (57 kg)
2002	Commonwealth Games	1st	Lightweight (57 kg)
2000	Olympic Games Judo at the 2000 Summer Olympics -Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:**...	3rd	Lightweight (57 kg)
1996	European Judo Championships 1996 European Judo Championships The 1996 European Judo Championships were the 7th edition of the European Judo Championships, and were held in The Hague, Netherlands on 19 May 1997.-Men:-Women:- Medal table :-60 kg:-65 kg:-71 kg:-78 kg:-86 kg:-95 kg:-+95 kg:...	2nd	Lightweight (56 kg)
1995	European Judo Championships 1995 European Judo Championships The 1995 European Judo Championships were the 6th edition of the European Judo Championships, and were held in Birmingham, England on 13 and 14 May 1995.-Men:-Women:- Medal table :-60 kg:-65 kg:-71 kg:-78 kg:-86 kg:-95 kg:-+95 kg:...	7th	Lightweight (56 kg)
1993	World Judo Championships 1993 World Judo Championships The 1993 World Judo Championships were the 18th edition of the World Judo Championships, and were held in Hamilton, Canada from September 30 to October 3, 1993.-Men:-Women:- Medals table :...	5th	Lightweight (56 kg)