A day after receiving early berths to the 2024 Paris Olympics, Japan's Hifumi Abe and his sister Uta, both Tokyo Olympic judo champions, said Friday they will put their extra time to good use.
The All Japan Judo Federation on Thursday named four early qualifiers for 2024, including Hifumi in the men's 66 kilograms and Uta in the women's 52 kg, deeming they have opened up enough of a gap on their rivals based on their records at international tournaments, among other factors.
In May in Doha, Hifumi and Uta each won a second-straight world championship, giving them four world titles apiece.
"I'm relieved, but the battle starts here. I'll win overwhelmingly," said the 25-year-old Hifumi, welcoming the extended period of preparation. "I'll sharpen up my judo and make it a fulfilling year."
Uta, 22, vowed to build a judo style that "everyone says is strong" and one "without any room (for opponents) to exploit."
"I'll try to get myself ready to give 120 percent on the mat in Paris," she said.
The siblings, who both won Tokyo Olympic gold medals on the same day in 2021, have been shaping up nicely, with Hifumi winning his last four tournaments at home and abroad.
Uta has come back after having surgery on both her shoulders in the months following the Tokyo Olympics. Since returning to action in April 2022, she has won four straight international tournaments.
"I'll be looking to win a gold medal in a huge judo nation, (this time) away from home," Uta said. "There are still lots of areas I can improve in. I'll shape my training style around how to handle techniques I'm not good at dealing with."
A pair of Olympic newcomers, three-time women's 48-kg defending world champion Natsumi Tsunoda and first-time 70-kg world champion Saki Niizoe, were handed Thursday's other two early berths to Paris.
