Japan’s Uta Abe, the reigning Olympic champion in the under-52 kg judo competition, suffered an upset defeat in the round of 16 on Sunday, while her brother Hifumi Abe squeezed into the semifinals of the men’s under-66 kg category.
The Abe siblings both won gold at their home Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 just thirty minutes apart.
The 24-year-old Uta Abe, who had not lost a fight in an individual competition since 2019, was beaten by Uzbekistan’s Diyora Keldiyorova, twice world silver medallist.
After world No. 1 Keldiyorova had won by ippon, Abe sank to her knees holding her head in her hands as she tried to come to terms with what had happened.
Having saluted her opponent, she struggled to walk and fell to her knees again before sobbing in the arms of her coach.
The four-time world champion, who had only competed in one competition this year, had started her day with an easy win over Canadian Kelly Deguchi.
The favorite’s defeat opens the door for underdogs like France’s Amandine Buchard, who qualified for the semifinals.
The Tokyo silver medallist will face Keldiyorova, while Distria Krasniqi, the world No. 2 from Kosovo, will meet Italy’s world champion Odette Giuffrida in the other semi.
In the men’s extra lightweight category, Hifumi Abe will face Denis Vieru, the world No. 1 from Moldova.
Frenchman Walide Khyar lost by ippon to Gusman Kyrgyzbayev from Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals. Kyrgyzbayev will face Brazilian Willian Lima for a spot in the final.