The Abe siblings’ hopes of winning judo gold medals for Japan on the same day in their second consecutive Olympics were dashed early on Sunday when Uta Abe suffered a surprising loss to Diyora Keldiyorova from Uzbekistan in the round of 16.
Both Uta Abe and her older brother, Hifumi, had won gold medals in the Tokyo Olympics and had also each won world championships in the two years since 2021.
However, they won’t return from the Paris Games with a matching set of medals. Keldiyorova defeated Uta Abe with a Tani Otoshi throw, earning an ippon just 3:04 into their match.
Uta Abe was visibly upset after her unexpected defeat, which shocked both her and the audience. The 24-year-old had not lost any competition since 2019, and this was only her second loss since 2016.
Struggling to stand and leave the tatami, Uta Abe knelt and cried in her coach’s arms for at least three minutes after the match.
Her tears delayed the next match at Arena Champ-de-Mars in the women’s 52-kilogram category, a division she had dominated for years.
Uta Abe did not talk to the many reporters waiting after her bout, as her team said she was too distressed. Her sobs were audible from a distance outside the arena.
The Abe siblings are well-known in Japan and the judo world for their charming smiles and expressive personalities, but Uta Abe was unable to win a second Olympic gold medal to add to her Tokyo gold and four world championships.
“I want to be invincible in everyone’s eyes,” Uta Abe had said to Olympics.com just before the Paris Games. “Somebody who nobody expects to lose, and is stronger than words can describe.”
Hifumi Abe didn’t let his sister’s loss impact him during his first two matches. The 26-year-old’s debut in Paris lasted just 59 seconds, as he defeated Bence Pongracz of Hungary with a powerful ippon.
He then continued despite a bloody nose and advanced to the semifinals with another ippon win over Nurali Emomali of Tajikistan, who injured his left arm while trying to break his fall. Hifumi Abe hasn’t lost a match since 2019.
Uta Abe’s loss is another setback for Japan’s highly regarded judo team, which won nine gold medals and 12 total medals in this sport during their home Olympics three years ago.
On Saturday, Natsumi Tsunoda won Japan’s first gold medal in Paris by taking the top spot in the women’s 48-kilogram category. However, Ryuju Nagayama had to settle for a bronze in the men’s 60-kilogram division after a disputed loss to Francisco Garridos of Spain.
Tsunoda was the last person to defeat Uta Abe by ippon before Sunday. She achieved this in the final of the Tokyo Grand Slam in 2016 with an arm lock on the then 16-year-old Abe.
Keldiyorova is also a top competitor, having won silver medals at the last two world championships. She entered the Olympics ranked No. 1 in the 52-kilogram category, ahead of Uta Abe, who did not compete in this year’s world championships.
