Uta Abe and his brother Hifumi Abe, Olympic champions in Tokyo last year, once again achieved an incredible family double by being both crowned world champions in judo on Friday in Tashkent.
Uta Abe beat Britain’s Chelsie Giles, reigning European champion, in the -52 kg final. His only real scare of the day came from his semi-final against the French Amandine Buchard, who did not go far from victory during extra time.
At 22, she won her third world title after 2018 and 2019.
A few minutes after his coronation, his big brother Hifumi, 25, also won for the third time, dominating his compatriot Joshiro Maruyama in the -66 kg final.
The brother and sister have therefore succeeded in their incredible bet to bring back two gold medals on the same day, as at the Tokyo Olympics last year and as at the 2018 Worlds in Baku.
After two days of competition in the capital of Uzbekistan, Japan already has four titles out of four possible, after those of Natsumi Tsunoda (-48 kg) and Naohisa Takato (-60 kg) on Thursday.
Results of the second day of the Tashkent World Championships:
Men:
-66 kg:
1. Hifumi Abe (JPN)
2. Joshiro Maruyama (JPN)
3. The Bowl (KOR)
3. Denis Vieru (MDA)
Women:
-52 kg:
1. Uta Abe (JPN)
2. Chelsea Giles (GBR)
3. District Krasniqi (KOS)
3. Amandine Buchard (FRA)