Olympics-Judo-Japan's Abe siblings edge closer to matching golds in Tokyo

Triple world champion judoka Naohisa Takato secured Japan's first gold medal with victory over Taiwan's Yang Yung-wei on Saturday and the host country claimed further golds on Sunday, in swimming and skateboarding https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/japan-pm-offers-congrats-gold-medallist-games-heat-up-2021-07-25. Hifumi, 23, threw Brazil's Daniel Cargnin to win ippon - judo's equivalent of a knockout - in the semi-final.

Japan's judoka siblings, Uta Abe and her older brother Hifumi, advanced into finals at the Tokyo Games on Sunday, moving one bout away from winning gold medals on the same day, the first such feat in the sport in Olympic history. Triple world champion judoka Naohisa Takato secured Japan's first gold medal with victory over Taiwan's Yang Yung-wei on Saturday and the host country claimed further golds on Sunday, in swimming and skateboarding https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/japan-pm-offers-congrats-gold-medallist-games-heat-up-2021-07-25.

Hifumi, 23, threw Brazil's Daniel Cargnin to win ippon - judo's equivalent of a knockout - in the semi-final. Earlier, he made his way through the elimination round of 16 in the 66kg category in a tight bout with Kilian Le Blouch, throwing the French athlete to the tatami mat to score an ippon victory in sudden-death overtime.

In the quarter-final, he saw off Baskhuu Yondonperenlei of Mongolia with a waza-ari. Sister Uta, 21, also dominated her bouts in the 52kg category.

In the semi-final, Uta threw Odette Giuffrida of Italy in Golden Score overtime to clinch a waza-ari victory. In the round of 16 against Brazil's Larissa Pimenta, Uta went for a pin to score an ippon victory, and in the quarter-final, a waza-ari was enough to beat Britain's, Chelsie Giles.

The men's and women's finals are scheduled for later on Sunday. Defending Olympic champion Majlinda Kelmendi lost by a waza-ari in overtime to Reka Pupp of Hungary in the women's 52kg elimination round of 32. Now 30, Kelmendi became Kosovo's first Olympic gold medallist in Rio in 2016.