Two of Japan’s best medal prospects in Paris are Hifumi and Uta Abe. The Hyogo Prefecture-born judoka siblings are aiming to become the first brother and sister duo to defend their Olympic crowns. They will compete on the same day in France, just as they did in Tokyo three years ago.
“I know we are both working hard, and we share the same target — the fact alone helps me,” said older brother Hifumi earlier this year. “When I see her working hard and putting in the effort, it gives me strength and makes me think I have work to do,” he added.
The Start of Hifumi and Uta Abe’s Judo Journey
Hifumi took up judo aged 6 and won his first national tournament during his junior high school days. Uta followed in his footsteps, starting judo when she was 5 and, from the very first day, “fell in love with the sport.” In 2017, the then 16-year-old became the youngest ever International Judo Federation (IJF) Grand Prix winner, topping the podium in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Later that year, Hifumi and Uta Abe both won in their respective categories at the Tokyo Grand Slam, with their triumphs coming within 15 minutes of each other. “I saw my sister win her final before I fought. Her victory meant I was even more motivated to win gold,” said Hifumi. In 2018, the pair of them won world titles in Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku. Again, their successes came on the same day.
Between them, the Abe siblings have won eight world championship gold medals — four apiece. After their victories in Doha, Qatar, last year, the All Japan Judo Federation selected them for the Olympics in Paris, where they’ll both be attempting to top the podium again like they did in Tokyo in 2021.
Olympic Glory
Uta was up first back then, taking on France’s Amandine Buchard in the much-anticipated women’s -52kg final. After the match went to a golden score, Buchard attempted a kata guruma (shoulder wheel) that Abe blocked. The Japanese judoka then turned her French opponent over and pinned her down to win the match. It’s predicted to be the final again in Paris.
Following her victory over Buchard, Uta stood at the side of the mats to watch her brother’s final in the –66kg competition. Taking on Georgia’s Vazha Margvelashvili, he was a strong favorite going into it and didn’t disappoint. An osotogari (large outer reap) throw earned him a waza-ari (the second-highest score in judo), which was enough to claim the gold medal.
Japan and France Expected to Top Gold Medal Table in Paris
Since then, neither Hifumi nor Uta Abe have lost in an IJF competition. They are arguably the star names in what is an impressive looking Japanese judo lineup for the Paris Olympics featuring several world champions, including Akira Sone, Natsumi Tsunoda and Saki Niizoe. Coach Keiji Suzuki will be hoping to match the gold medal tally from the 2020 Games when Japan won nine of the 14 categories in the sport. That, however, will be a very tough task.
The host nation in particular looks very strong with Teddy Riner aiming to win a third individual Olympic title and Clarisse Agbegnenou out to defend her crown in the –63kg category. Both also helped France defeat Japan in the mixed team category in Tokyo. The two countries are likely to be battling it out for gold again in Paris. Overall, though, it feels like the competitions could be more open this time around, with nations like Georgia, Azerbaijan and South Korea sending strong teams to France.
