Abe Uta (25, Park24), the world champion in the women’s 52kg judo division, joined the Japanese national team training camp in Tokyo on the 4th, expressing a strong desire to reclaim the Olympic gold medal for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. After winning gold at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, she suffered a second-round exit at the Paris 2024 Games. With just two years until her third Olympic appearance, she emphasized her determination: “I want to push forward aiming only for the gold medal. I will go for it no matter what.”
On the same day, the All Japan Judo Federation announced that Abe will compete in the Grand Slam Ulaanbaatar tournament in June. This event, along with others starting from that month, will contribute to ranking points that affect qualification and seeding for the Los Angeles Olympics. Recalling the bitter experience of missing a seeding spot in Paris, where she was forced to face then-world No. 1 Diyora Keldiyorova (Uzbekistan) in the second round, Abe said, “I thought points wouldn’t matter in Paris, but I realized they are surprisingly important. Even small accumulations can help later on.” She showed a proactive approach to gaining more competition experience.
The World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, are scheduled for October. Abe asserted, “I want to focus on winning while sticking to my judo. I will aim for victories with the Los Angeles Olympics in mind, staying conscious of everything.”
