Abe Sisters and Takeoka Shine at Judo World Championships in Budapest

In Budapest, Japan's Uta Abe secured her fifth judo world championship in the women's 52-kilogram category. However, her brother, Hifumi, achieved only a bronze medal. Meanwhile, Takeshi Takeoka from Japan claimed the top spot in the men's 66-kg competition.

Uta Abe, aged 24, triumphed over Olympic gold medalist Distria Krasniqi of Kosovo in a challenging final. The match was a strategic contest until Abe destabilized her opponent, executing a throw for ippon with less than a minute remaining. Abe acknowledged the difficulty of the past year and expressed her determination to continue improving.

Hifumi Abe, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, faced an unexpected quarterfinal defeat against Obid Dzhebov of Tajikistan, marking his first loss to a non-Japanese opponent in an individual event since 2019. Dzhebov countered Abe's attack, scoring ippon. Abe reflected on the defeat, viewing it as a catalyst for growth and expressing his focus on the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics.

Takeshi Takeoka secured Japan's eighth consecutive championship in his division by defeating Nurali Emomali of Tajikistan in the final match. This victory marked Takeoka's first world title, after previously earning a silver medal. He emphasized the need for continuous improvement to maintain his competitive edge.

After losing in the quarterfinals, Hifumi Abe secured a bronze medal by defeating Cuba's Orlando Polanco. Dzhebov, despite his quarterfinal victory over Abe, finished third, achieving his first podium finish at the world championships.