Hifumi Abe

Hifumi Abe is one of the most dominant judoka of the modern era and a leading figure in the -66kg category. The Japanese star has built an impressive career defined by explosive technique, relentless attacks and success on the sport’s biggest stages.

Abe first gained international recognition as a teenager. In 2014 he won the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing and reached the final of the World Junior Championships in the same year. Earlier he had already taken silver at the World Cadet Championships in Miami, showing his enormous potential from a young age.

His breakthrough at senior level came quickly. In 2016 Abe became the youngest judoka to win Grand Slam titles in both Tyumen and Tokyo, announcing his arrival among the world’s elite.

Abe went on to dominate the -66kg division with multiple world titles. He became world champion in 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2026, and added bronze medals in 2019 and 2025, confirming his status as one of Japan’s most successful male judoka of the modern generation.

At the Olympic Games he achieved the ultimate success twice. Abe captured gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and repeated the feat at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, establishing himself as a double Olympic champion.

He has also been extremely successful on the World Judo Tour, holding the record for the most Grand Slam victories with fourteen titles, including triumph at the Grand Slam in Tashkent in 2026.

Hifumi Abe shares his passion for judo with his sister Uta Abe, Olympic champion at Tokyo 2020 and six-time world champion. At the World Championships in Baku in 2026 they again won their world titles on the same day.

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