Hifumi and Uta Abe win world judo titles again in Baku as Japan take five of first six golds

Japan's judo siblings Hifumi and Uta Abe have done it again. On Monday, 5 October, the brother and sister both won world titles on the same day at the 2026 World Judo Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, adding to a run that has made them two of the most decorated players in the sport.

Hifumi Abe took the men's -66kg crown, his fifth world title, while Uta Abe won the women's -52kg event for her sixth. Their wins were part of a strong opening for Japan, who collected five of the first six individual gold medals at the National Gymnastics Arena.

Hifumi's quick finish

The double Olympic champion admitted he struggled to find his rhythm in the early rounds, but the final against Spain's David Garcia Torne was over quickly. Abe threw his opponent with seoi-nage for ippon about one minute into the contest. He told the International Judo Federation (IJF) that the fifth title meant even more to him after a day of hard contests.

The -66kg bronze medals went to Moldova's Denis Vieru, who beat Russia's Murad Chopanov, and Japan's Takeshi Takeoka, who scored two waza-ari with tomoe-nage against Mongolia's Baskhuu Yondonperenlei.

Uta grinds out number six

Uta Abe's final against Ariane Toro Soler of Spain was a much longer battle. After a tense gripping contest, Toro Soler received a third penalty after about seven and a half minutes, handing the Japanese star the gold. The Olympic champion said she knew she had to be aggressive and keep moving forward, and she has spoken of an ambition to one day reach ten world titles.

Toro Soler's silver was her first world medal after finishing fifth in 2025. Spain's Ayumi Leiva Sanchez and Italy's Odette Giuffrida, who has now won medals at three of the last four world championships, took bronze.

Japan's strong start

The championships began on Sunday, 4 October, when Wakana Koga won her first world title at -48kg, beating Italy's Assunta Scutto in the final with groundwork. The home crowd celebrated the other gold of the opening day, as Azerbaijan's Ahmad Yusifov came from behind to beat Kazakhstan's Sherzod Davlatov in the men's -60kg final.

Day three on Tuesday brought two new Japanese world champions. Akari Omori beat reigning champion Eteri Liparteliani of Georgia in golden score at -57kg, turning and holding her opponent on the mat, and Ryuga Tanaka won the men's -73kg title with an ouchi-gari against the UAE's Makhmadbek Makhmadbekov.

That gives Japan five golds from the first six weight categories: Koga, the two Abes, Omori and Tanaka.

What is still to come

Individual competition continues through Saturday, 10 October, with the heavier weight categories still to be decided, followed by the mixed team event on Sunday, 11 October. Baku is four hours behind Malaysia, so evening final sessions in Azerbaijan fall late at night in Malaysia.

For Southeast Asian fans, the Abe siblings have built a fan base across Asia since their joint Olympic golds at Tokyo 2020. Their latest titles keep them firmly on course for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Key takeaways

• Hifumi Abe (-66kg) won his fifth world title and Uta Abe (-52kg) her sixth on 5 October in Baku.
• Both beat Spanish opponents in the final: David Garcia Torne and Ariane Toro Soler.
• Japan won five of the first six individual golds, through Koga, the Abes, Omori and Tanaka.
• Azerbaijan's Ahmad Yusifov gave the hosts a gold at -60kg on the opening day.
• The championships run until a mixed team event on 11 October.

FAQ

How many world titles do Hifumi and Uta Abe have? After Baku, Hifumi Abe has five world titles and Uta Abe has six.

Where are the 2026 World Judo Championships being held? At the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 4 to 11 October 2026.

How did Uta Abe win the -52kg final? Her Spanish opponent Ariane Toro Soler picked up a third penalty after about seven and a half minutes, which ended the contest in Abe's favour.

Sources: International Judo Federation, Euronews, Wikipedia