With less than a month left until the opening of the Paris Olympics, Abe Hifumi spoke about his enthusiasm for the event.
Photo by Sponichi
Will he take a step towards an unprecedented challenge? Abe Hifumi (Park 24), a representative for the Paris Olympics in the men’s 66 kg judo class, spoke in an interview on the 29th at the Park 24 Meguro Dojo in Meguro Ward, Tokyo, about his second big stage with less than a month until the opening, saying, “It’s going very well. I think three years (from the Tokyo Olympics) is fast, but as it gets closer I feel like I have no choice but to do it. I’m ready.”
He made a comeback at the Selected Weight Class Championships in April 2022, defeating his rival, Maruyama Shiro, and was selected to represent Japan at the World Championships that same year. He defeated Maruyama in the finals of this tournament for the third time, and won consecutive championships at the World Championships in May last year, earning him a place on the Paris Olympic team. He has also made further progress in terms of technique since three years ago, with a higher success rate in his footwork, and he gives himself a good evaluation, saying, “In terms of perfection, it’s difficult to reach 100%, but I think it feels good. I’ve also become more calm in terms of my mental state.”
Abe’s biggest goal as a judoka is to achieve an unprecedented four consecutive Olympic gold medals, but after his victory in Paris, he may change weight classes for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He said he has lost “about 7 to 10 kilograms,” which is already one weight class up at 73 kilograms, and when asked about his prospects for a third consecutive victory and two weight classes in Los Angeles, he said with a smile, “It would be nice, I’d like to try it. In the back of my mind, it’s nice, I’d like to try it.”
He says that he regularly practices against fighters in other weight classes, and that “I have a feeling I can do it.” However, he also calmly states, “I don’t have enough muscle mass. When I think about (opponents) from overseas, I feel that their physical strength is different. If I want to move up a weight class, I need to prepare for two years without competing.” At 167 cm, which is average for the 66 kg class, he will inevitably be on the small side in the 73 kg class. To become an Olympic champion, it is necessary to evolve in every area, not just move up a weight class and play matches, but Abe, who boasts absolute strength in his current weight class, has the potential to break common sense.
There have only been a few examples of Japanese athletes winning two Olympic judo weight classes, such as Waldemar Regen (Poland), who won the men’s 78 kg class at Seoul in 1988 and the 86 kg class at Barcelona in 1992, and Lukasz Krpalek (Czech Republic), who won the men’s 100 kg class at Rio in 2016 and the over 100 kg class at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Will Abe step into an unknown challenge? Even after the Paris Olympics are over, we can’t take our eyes off his movements.
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2024-06-29 08:08:03
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