Three years after the Tokyo Olympics, Japan’s Hifumi Abe and her sister Uta are looking to win gold again at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Olympic judo champions Hifumi and Uta Abe are encouraging each other to defend their titles at this year’s Paris Games.
The brothers, who won individual gold medals within an hour of each other at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed due to the pandemic, will be a force to be reckoned with in Paris again.
Both four-time world champions and Hifumi Abe do not want to fall behind younger brother Uta this summer, he told reporters in Tokyo.
“I know we both work hard and share the same goal; even that fact helps me,” the 26-year-old athlete said.
“Seeing him work hard and make an effort gives me strength and makes me think that I should work hard too.”
Shortly after Uta beat France’s Amandine Buchard for the women’s 52 kilo gold medal, Hifumi defeated Georgia’s Vazha Margvelashvili to win the men’s under 66 kilo Olympic title in Tokyo.
The brothers will compete again in Paris on the same day, and Uta stated that they will follow each other’s matches.
“If we both improve in the tournament, it will help us support each other,” the 23-year-old said.
“The most important thing is to keep winning so we can get to the final and win.”
The Abe brothers continued their Olympic success by winning world championships in their respective weights in 2022 and 2023.