Hifumi Abe became the first Team Japan athlete in any sport to repeat as a gold medalist at the Paris Games.
A sensational effort in the men's judo 66-kilogram final clinched Abe's second straight Olympic title. He famously won his first on the same day that his younger sister Uta Abe claimed victory in the women's 52-kg division at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021. Shared glory in the Japanese capital.
On Sunday, July 28, the siblings experienced mixed emotions: There was heartbreak for four-time world champion Uta with a shock second-round defeat to Uzbekistan's Diyora Keldiyorova by ippon at 11 AM Paris time.
And then, at 5 PM at Champ-de-Mars Arena, her older brother produced an uplifting, brilliant effort in his title match against Willian Lima of Brazil. Hifumi's quick reflexes and flawless execution of judo techniques combined with a powerful aggressive performance to seal the victory in 2 minutes, 36 seconds.
The final score ― Abe 10, Lima 0 ― was a formality, a bookkeeping requirement. In reality, the performance gap between the two judoka was striking.
Hifumi Abe Ecstatic to Repeat as Olympic Champion
What did winning in Paris mean to Abe, who turns 27 on August 7?
He shared his thoughts after the medal ceremony.
"I will never forget this medal in my life, but I think it holds more feelings than the Tokyo Games," Hifumi Abe was quoted as saying by NHK.
He added, "I am very happy to have won the gold medal amidst the cheers of the Olympics. Being able to show what I have done on the Olympic stage will be a strength in my judo career from now on. And it has given me confidence, so I want to become even stronger."
In a March 2024 interview, Abe told NHK that he considered the Paris Olympics the ideal showcase to demonstrate his skills on the tatami.
"I want to show my overwhelming judo not only to the people of Japan but also to the people of the world," were words he used in the interview to convey his ambitious message.
An Emotional Day for the Two-Time Olympic Champion
Abe, a four-time world champion, including 2022 and 2023, provided a vivid reminder of his standing in judo's global pecking order.
One of the world's current greats in his chosen sport, Hifumi Abe carried the weight of his sister's disappointment on his shoulders and in his mind throughout the day. With a laser-sharp focus, he conquered challengers Bence Pongracz of Hungary (10-0), Nurali Emomali of Tajikistan (10-0), Denis Vieru of Moldova (1-0) to reach the 66-kg final. Against Vieru, a textbook harai goshi (sweeping hip throw) sealed the win.
To his credit and with the enthusiastic supporters of Japanese fans and other spectators at the arena, Abe rattled off victory after victory. And he ensured that the first Sunday of the Paris Olympics would be a day of celebration for the Abe family ― not a double celebration as they had hoped, but still something special.
The Kobe native spoke about what was going through his mind as he prepared to face the aforementioned judoka.
"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, according to The Associated Press.
"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."
Uta Abe Reacts to the Disappointment of Defeat
After her first loss in a judo match since 2019, Uta Abe acknowledged that her opponent was better on this day in the French capital.
"She executed a great technique," Abe was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. "I was thrown without having an instant to react."
Before that match-altering moment, she led 1-0 over her Uzbek foe.
But Keldiyorova capitalized on a successful element of surprise to upend Abe and stage a monumental upset.
The catalyst: a superb tani-otoshi throw, which produced an ippon at the 3:04 mark.
As a result, Keldiyorova won 10-1.
"I couldn't calm myself down when I lost since I've thought about the Olympics so much and done so much for this particular day," Uta Abe told reporters later, according to The Canadian Press.
She then said, "I scored first, and I think I rushed to finish the match."
When it was over, the gravity of the moment hit Uta Abe hard. She was seen on the live broadcast on her knees on the mat, with tears flowing down her face. Several minutes passed before she got up.
Abe, who was named the International Judo Federation's top female judoka in 2022 and '23, entered the Paris Olympics as the favorite to win the 52-kg title again.
After victories in the quarterfinals and semifinals, 10-0 and 1-0, respectively, the Uzbek judoka met Kosovo's Distria Krasniqi in the championship match about six hours after eliminating Abe.
Keldiyorova held her own and clinched the gold by waza-ari.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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