Japan’s brother-sister act: Uta and Hifumi Abe both win gold medals

Uta and Hifumi Abe are perhaps Japan’s most popular sibling rivalry. The top-ranked judoka became the first brother-sister pair to compete in the same tournament when they fought in the world judo championships in 2017. They both became world champions the next year. Uta repeated as champion in 2019; Hifumi finished third.

On Sunday the pair added an even bigger trophy to their joint collection: They both won Olympic gold medals.

Uta Abe, three years younger than her brother, went first. She and Amandine Buchard of France, who was ranked second in the world in the under 52-kilogram (114.6 pounds) category, fought to a draw in the first four minutes. Abe finally found an opening four minutes into extra time when she pulled down Buchard for an ippon. She pumped her fists and cried with joy.

“All the hard work I put into judo the past four years was all for this moment, so I feel like all my efforts have finally paid off,” she said afterward.

About 30 minutes later, Hifumi Abe beat Vazha Margvelashvili of Georgia for the gold medal in the under 66-kilogram (145.5 pounds) category. About two minutes into their fight, Abe scored a point for a waza-ari, which was awarded because he threw down Margvelashvili. After time expired, he raised his index finger in the air.

“I think we were able to repaint and engrave our names into history by becoming gold medalists together,” he said after his victory.

Another pair of brother-sister judoka, Ben and Megan Fletcher of Ireland, are also competing at the Tokyo Games, but they are not nearly as successful.

The Abes’ medals were the culmination of a nearly two-decade journey. They grew up in Kobe, where their father is a firefighter and their mother owns a cafe. Both started judo at a young age and have fed off each other’s competitiveness. Their father helped them with their conditioning.

Hifumi Abe began practicing at 6 years old after watching judo on television. At 8, he lost to a girl in the same age group. Humiliated, he put in the extra work with his father. By junior high school, he was practicing up to six hours per day and soon became a national champion.

He avoids regular weight training because he said it stiffens his muscles and increases the risk of injury, but his muscular build has made him a hit with some Japanese women.

For years, Uta chased Hifumi’s success. She took up the sport at the age of 5 because she wanted to practice with her brothers. Her father wanted her to learn to play the piano, but she stuck with judo. By high school, she was a national champion and set her sights on competing at the Tokyo Games.

Uta’s self-confidence grew after she became a world champion in 2018. The next year, she successfully defended her world title while Hifumi finished third: She had finally caught up to her brother. In June, she said she wanted to become so strong that people would call her “a monster.”

The Abes vowed to win gold medals in Tokyo. Now they have.

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