Tokyo 2020: Judokas Hifumi, Uta become first siblings in Olympics history to clinch gold on same day
Jul 25, 2021
Tokyo [Japan], July 25 : Japanese judoka Hifumi Abe clinched a gold medal on Sunday, hours after her sister Uta Abe won gold in the women's 52-kilogram division in the same sport in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics.
Day Two of the ongoing tournament became memorable as the Japanese siblings completed the golden double in Judo. This is the first time two siblings have won Olympic gold medals on the same day in an individual sport.
After Uta Abe's victory earlier in the women's -52kg, Hifumi won the gold in the men's -66kg final. A waza-ari was enough to separate him from Georgia's Vazha Margvelashvili.
"This has turned out to be the greatest day ever. I don't think we, as brother and sister, couldn't shine any brighter on this stage known as the Tokyo Olympics. I'm so happy. I felt really calm in the final," Hifumi said after the final.
"It was my judo from beginning to end. I was incredibly thrilled without question. But I was determined to walk off the tatami of these Games in Tokyo with not only victory but with my chin up, looking straight ahead."
"The medal feels very heavy. There is so much in this gold medal. I may only be 23 but this gold medal contains all 23 of those years and I feel the weight of it. The path to get here felt like it went on forever. But the obstacles I had to overcome, they were all meant to be. It was all for this gold medal," he added.
According to Olympics.com, Hifumi is a two-time world champion who had to win a gruelling, 24-minute bout against teammate Joshiro last December simply for the right to represent Japan at these Olympics. He won four straight bouts Sunday, including three by ippon.
Brazil's Daniel Cargnin and South Korea's An Baul both win bronze to complete the men's 66kg podium.
