Abe Siblings Face Mixed Outcomes in Judo at Paris Olympics

Hifumi Abe secured his second Olympic judo gold medal by defeating Willian Lima of Brazil in the men's 66-kilogram final. After his victory, he looked directly at his sister, Uta Abe, who was crying in the stands. The Abe siblings had hoped to win gold medals on the same day for Japan, but Uta's unexpected loss to Diyora Keldiyorova of Uzbekistan dashed their dream.

"My sister lost today, so it was a really hard day for me, but I had the feeling all day that I had to work hard for my sister," Hifumi Abe said through an interpreter. "It was difficult and painful. But I kept my emotions in check, and I felt I had no choice but to do my best as the older brother."

Unexpected Defeat

Uta Abe, a four-time world champion who hadn't lost in five years, was defeated in her second bout by Keldiyorova. This upset ended her chance of winning another gold medal. "She executed a great technique," Uta told Japanese media later. "I was thrown without having an instant to react."

Uta's loss was only her second since 2016 and left her disconsolate for hours. She struggled to leave the tatami and wept in her coach's arms for several minutes. Her sorrow delayed the next match in the women's 52-kilogram category.

Hifumi's Determination

Despite his sister's loss, Hifumi Abe remained focused. His first match ended in 59 seconds with a decisive ippon against Bence Pongracz of Hungary. He then fought through a bloody nose to reach the semifinals with another ippon victory over Nurali Emomali of Tajikistan.

In the semifinals, Hifumi faced top-ranked Denis Vieru of Moldova and won with a brilliant harai goshi hip sweep nine seconds into golden score. In the final, he gradually broke down Lima, scoring a waza ari before ending the match with an impressive throw.

Japan's Judo Team Performance

Japan's judo team won nine gold medals and 12 total medals at their home Olympics three years ago. However, winning two gold medals from four events so far in Paris is considered a rocky start. Natsumi Tsunoda won gold on Saturday in the women's 48-kilogram category, while Ryuju Nagayama settled for bronze in men's 60-kilogram after a controversial loss.

Tsunoda was the last person to beat Uta Abe by ippon before Sunday. She did it in the final of the Tokyo Grand Slam in 2016 with an arm lock on the then-16-year-old prodigy.

Keldiyorova's Remarkable Run

Keldiyorova completed one of the most challenging gold-medal runs in Olympic judo history by defeating France's Amandine Buchard and Kosovo's Distria Krasniqi in the final. "She gave me a tough fight, and I know she is a champion," Keldiyorova said through an interpreter. "I just had to fight and try to win, but I respect her so much."

The Abe siblings' Olympic journey isn't over yet; both expressed their desire to compete until the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Tadahiro Nomura is currently the only three-time individual Olympic judo gold medalist. "I'll try my best to become even stronger at judo," Hifumi Abe said.

The Abe siblings are huge celebrities in Japan and the judo world due to their photogenic smiles and demonstrative personalities. Despite Uta's loss being devastating for both their family and fans, Hifumi ensured they would head home with at least one more gold medal.