Judo: Abe Siblings Strike Gold Again at the World Championships in Baku
Abe Siblings Extend Their World Championship Legacy in Baku
Poinews.com – Judo - The World Judo Championships continued in Baku with another memorable day for Japan’s Abe siblings, as Uta Abe defended her -52kg crown and Hifumi Abe claimed the -66kg title. Their victories added two more gold medals to an already exceptional family record on the sport’s biggest stage.
Day two of the competition began with the official opening ceremony, attended by Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. International Judo Federation President Marius Vizer and Azerbaijan Judo Federation President Rashad Nabiyev also addressed those gathered before the arena welcomed athletes and spectators with a large-scale ceremony.
Uta Abe Holds Off Toro Soler
In the women’s -52kg division, Ariane Toro Soler arrived in the final after an impressive run. Ranked fifth, the Spanish judoka showed determination throughout the day and put herself within one win of the world title.
Standing in her way was Uta Abe, the Olympic champion and five-time world champion. Abe advanced through the earlier rounds with the calmness and tactical awareness that have made her one of the defining competitors of her generation. She faced pressure along the way but repeatedly found solutions to keep her title defence alive.
The final was closely contested and shaped by strategy rather than easy openings. Toro Soler pushed the champion, yet Abe’s experience proved decisive as she retained the -52kg world title.
The result brought Abe her sixth world championship gold medal. She remains unbeaten at the World Judo Championships, a remarkable record in a discipline where even the finest athletes are regularly tested by narrow margins, penalties, and sudden changes in momentum.
For Toro Soler, reaching the final underlined her strong form and ability to compete at the highest level. Facing a reigning Olympic and world champion in a major final is a demanding assignment, and her route to the medal match demonstrated why she had been among the category’s most competitive judoka in Baku.
Peter Csanyi, CEO of OTP Group, presented the medals in the women’s -52kg category.
Hifumi Abe Delivers a Decisive Finish
Later, attention turned to the men’s -66kg competition, where Hifumi Abe entered as the athlete everyone was trying to stop. The double Olympic champion and four-time world champion was pursuing another title and the return of the red backpatch reserved for the reigning world champion.
Abe progressed to the final, where Spain’s David Garcia Torne awaited him. Garcia Torne had produced an excellent preliminary campaign, advancing to his first World Championships final and establishing himself as one of the day’s standout performers.
But the title contest ended in emphatic fashion. Hifumi Abe produced a huge ippon to defeat Garcia Torne, a decisive throw that lifted the atmosphere inside the arena and confirmed his fifth world championship gold medal.
In judo, an ippon is the sport’s clearest and most conclusive result: a score that immediately ends the contest. Abe’s final-winning technique therefore provided more than a victory; it offered a statement of control at the moment the championship was on the line.
The win reinforced his status among the leading figures in the -66kg division. Like his sister, Hifumi Abe has combined Olympic success with repeated world championship triumphs, maintaining elite performance across multiple major international events.
Otabek Umarov, Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia, awarded the medals in the men’s -66kg event.
A Golden Day for Japan’s Most Celebrated Judo Family
The Abe siblings’ double success gave the Baku championships one of its most striking stories. Uta Abe’s sixth world title and Hifumi Abe’s fifth illustrate both their individual achievements and the extraordinary consistency they have brought to international judo.
Championship judo demands far more than a single winning technique. Athletes must manage a full day of high-pressure bouts, adapt to different opponents, avoid costly errors and preserve enough energy for the final. The siblings once again met that challenge, each reaching the medal contest and each leaving Baku with gold.
For the crowd, Hifumi Abe’s powerful ippon supplied the dramatic climax. For Uta Abe, the significance lay in another composed title defence and the continuation of her undefeated World Championships record. Together, their performances ensured that the second day in Baku belonged to the Abe family.
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