At the judo competition in Paris, defending Olympic champion Uta Abe was left inconsolable after suffering a surprise defeat against the world number one, Diyora Keldiyorova of Uzbekistan.
Abe, who had not lost a match since 2019, was beaten in the second round of the women’s -52kg class, ending her title defense. The emotional scenes unfolded as Abe, visibly distraught, was in tears on the mat after the loss.
One of the Japanese coaches rushed to console Abe, who fell into his arms and continued to sob uncontrollably. Eventually, a dejected Abe was helped out of the arena as the crowd chanted her name, showing their support for the young judoka.
Japan’s head coach, Masuchi Katsuyuki, expressed the profound impact of the loss on Abe. “She was sobbing uncontrollably after stepping off the tatami, and she cried a lot in the athletes’ room,” he said. “She was very down, so I couldn’t say anything to her. All I could do was gently pat her back to console her. It’s something that will take time.”
Abe had previously defeated Keldiyorova, including in the final of the 2023 World Championships. In the Paris match, Abe started strong, scoring a waza-ari in the second minute, but Keldiyorova responded with a throw in the final minute to win with an ippon.
Masuchi acknowledged the challenges of maintaining a winning streak under intense scrutiny from opponents. “She has been a consistent winner, making her a target of intense analysis by her opponents,” he said. “It’s tough to maintain that winning streak under such observation.”
The loss was particularly devastating for Abe, who had been hoping to win another Olympic double with her brother, Hifumi. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, they made history by becoming Olympic champions on the same day. However, that dream will not be realized in Paris.
Abe’s exit was not the only surprise in the judo competition on Sunday. Great Britain’s Chelsie Giles was also beaten in her opening contest, losing in a ‘golden score’ defeat against Brazil’s Larissa Pimenta.
Japanese judoka Uta Abe has a mental breakdown after losing for the first time in 5 years
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