{{Short description|Japanese judoka (born 2000)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Family name hatnote|Abe|lang=Japanese}} {{Infobox judoka | name = Uta Abe | image = Uta Abe 2024.jpg | caption = Abe in February 2024 | headercolor = 2025 World Champion | native_name = 阿部 詩 | native_name_lang = ja | nationality = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|7|14|df=y}} | birth_place = Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan | height = 158 cm <!-- Sport --> | country = {{JPN}} | weight_class = {{nbnd}}52 kg | rank_ref = | dan = 3 | club = Nippon Sport Science University | team = All-Japan National Team | coach = <!-- Achievements and titles --> | olympics_rank = 1 | olympics_year = 2020 | olympics_weight = Women's 52 kg | worlds_rank = 1 | worlds_year = 2018 | worlds_weight = Women's 52 kg | worlds_year2 = 2019 | worlds_weight2 = Women's 52 kg | worlds_year3 = 2022 | worlds_weight3 = Women's 52 kg | worlds_year4 = 2023 | worlds_weight4 = Women's 52 kg | worlds_year5 = 2025 | worlds_weight5 = Women's 52 kg | regionals_type = AS | regionals_rank = <!-- 1\2\3\5\7\R16\etc... --> | regionals_year = | regionals_weight = <!-- Optional – To link to specific weightclass competition article (when one exists) --> | nationals = <!-- Medal record --> | show-medals = | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport| Women's judo }} {{Medal|Country| {{JPN}} }} {{Medal|Competition| Olympic Games }} {{Medal|G| 2020 Tokyo | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|S| 2020 Tokyo | Mixed team }} {{Medal|S| 2024 Paris | Mixed team }} {{Medal|Competition| World Championships }} {{Medal|G| 2018 Baku | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2019 Tokyo | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2022 Tashkent | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2023 Doha | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2025 Budapest | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| IJF Grand Slam }} {{Medal|G| 2017 Tokyo | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2018 Paris | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2018 Osaka | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2020 Düsseldorf | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2021 Tashkent | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2021 Kazan | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2022 Tokyo | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2023 Tokyo | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2024 Antalya | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2025 Baku | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2025 Tokyo | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|S| 2016 Tokyo | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|S| 2019 Osaka | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| IJF Grand Prix }} {{Medal|G| 2017 Düsseldorf | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2018 Hohhot | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2019 Hohhot | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|G| 2022 Zagreb | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| World Juniors Championships }} {{Medal|G| 2017 Zagreb | {{nbnd}}52 kg }} | updated = 11 December 2025 }}
{{Nihongo|'''Uta Abe'''|阿部 詩|Abe Uta|born 14 July 2000}} is a Japanese judoka who competes in the Women's half-lightweight (52 kg) division.<ref name="ijf">{{cite web |url=https://www.ijf.org/judoka/35696 |website=ijf.org |title=Uta ABE / IJF.org |access-date=21 September 2018}}</ref> She won the gold medal in the Women's 52 kg competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics and two silver medals in a row with the Japanese team in the judo mixed team events at the 2020<ref name=OG>{{cite web |title=2020 Summer Olympics — Judo - Women 52 kg Schedule |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/judo/event-schedule-women-52-kg.htm |work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics |access-date=22 July 2021 |archive-date=10 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010212250/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/judo/event-schedule-women-52-kg.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ABE Uta |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/judo/athlete-profile-n1315319-abe-uta.htm |work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics |access-date=29 July 2021 |archive-date=4 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804062519/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/judo/athlete-profile-n1315319-abe-uta.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> and 2024 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{cite web |title=ABE Uta |url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/uta-abe_1896760 |work=Paris 2024 Olympics |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240730141201/https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/uta-abe_1896760 |archive-date=30 July 2024}}</ref> Abe is also a five-time world champion, having won the gold medal in her weight category at the World Judo Championships in 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2025.
She rose to prominence after winning her first senior gold medal, aged just 16, at the 2017 Judo Grand Prix Düsseldorf, thus becoming the youngest IJF senior competition winner in history.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/02/25/more-sports/judo/abe-makes-history-grand-prix-win/ |title=Abe makes history with Grand Prix win |date=25 February 2017 |work=Japan Times |access-date=27 February 2017 |issn=0447-5763}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2016/12/02/more-sports/judo/abe-triumphs-hashiguchi-grand-slam-tokyo/ |title=Abe triumphs over Hashiguchi at Grand Slam Tokyo |date=2 December 2016 |work=Japan Times |access-date=27 February 2017 |issn=0447-5763}}</ref>
==Personal life== Abe is the younger sister of another stellar judoka, Hifumi Abe, who competes in the Men's 66 kg division. He's a double Olympic champion, having won two consecutive gold medals in his weight category at the Summer Olympics (2020 and 2024), as well as a four-time world champion.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/12/03/more-sports/judo/hifumi-abe-sister-uta-top-podium-grand-slam-tokyo/ |title=Hifumi Abe and sister Uta top podium at Grand Slam Tokyo |date=3 December 2017 |work=Japan Times |access-date=21 September 2018 |issn=0447-5763}}</ref><ref name="OlGa">{{cite web |title=Judo - Men -66 kg Schedule |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/judo/event-schedule-men-66-kg.htm |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |access-date=20 July 2021 |archive-date=27 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727063730/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/judo/event-schedule-men-66-kg.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Tokyo2020">{{cite web |title=ABE Hifumi |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/judo/athlete-profile-n1315347-abe-hifumi.htm |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |access-date=2 September 2021 |archive-date=26 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726091017/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/judo/athlete-profile-n1315347-abe-hifumi.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=NEWS |first=KYODO |title=Olympics: Hifumi Abe wins 2nd straight Olympic men's 66-kg judo gold |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/07/112afed46764-urgent-uta-abe-defeated-in-2nd-round-of-womens-52-kg-judo-at-paris-olympics.html |access-date=28 July 2024 |website=Kyodo News+}}</ref>
==Judo career== Abe became the youngest ever Judoka to win an IJF (International Judo Federation) Grand Prix, when she captured first place at the Düsseldorf Grand Prix in February 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/02/25/more-sports/judo/abe-makes-history-grand-prix-win/ |title=Abe makes history with Grand Prix win |date=25 February 2017 |work=Japan Times |access-date=21 September 2018 |issn=0447-5763}}</ref>
Abe participated at the 2018 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan and won her first world title at 18 years of age, making her the third-youngest Judoka to ever capture a senior World title.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.judoinside.com/news/2868/Uta_Abe_makes_miracles_come_true_with_World_title |title=Uta Abe makes miracles come true with World title |website=judoinside.com |access-date=21 September 2018}}</ref> Abe firstly defeated Polish judoka Karolina Pieńkowska and Fabienne Kocher of Switzerland. She then defeated Jéssica Pereira of Brazil and in the semi-finals defeated Amandine Buchard of France in under 40 seconds, by armlock to make her way into the finals. In the finals, Abe was matched with teammate and former-world champion Ai Shishime,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.judoinside.com/news/2865/Uta_Abe_and_Ai_Shishime_on_track_for_Japanese_final |title=Uta Abe and Ai Shishime on track for Japanese final |website=judoinside.com |access-date=21 September 2018}}</ref> and defeated Shishime with a spectacular uchi-mata in golden score for ippon.<ref name="judobase">{{cite web |url=http://judolive01.lb.judobase.org/www.judo-world.net/ijf/world/wc_sen2018//tta.php?tta_mode=&aktion=pdf_sheet&klasse=-52 |website=judolive01.lb.judobase.org |title=2018 World Judo Championships –52 kg results |access-date=21 September 2018}}</ref>
In 2021, Abe won the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on the same day that her brother Hifumi won the gold medal in his judo division.<ref name=kyodo>{{citation |newspaper=Kyodo News |title=Olympics: Japan's Abe siblings complete historic judo double |date=25 July 2021 |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/07/4e5dbc4be0ba-olympics-abe-siblings-aim-for-golden-judo-double.html}}</ref>
Abe won the gold medal in the women's 52{{nbsp}}kg event at the 2023 World Judo Championships held in Doha, Qatar.
She was defeated by Diyora Keldiyorova of Uzbekistan in the second round of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Watta |first=Evelyn |date=July 28, 2024 |title=Paris 2024 Olympics: Defending champion Abe Uta gets loudest cheers despite shocking loss |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-abe-uta-gets-loudest-cheers-despite-loss |access-date=August 25, 2024 |website=olympics.com}}</ref> This was her first competition loss since her defeat to Amandine Buchard of France at the Osaka Grand Slam in 2019, over 4 years earlier.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Commons category-inline}} * {{IJF}} * {{JudoInside}} * {{Olympics.com}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{InterSportStats|3000444433}} * {{The-Sports}} * {{Team Japan|olympic/paris/sports/judo/team/abeuta}} * {{Instagram}} * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jKHFuvQCg8 Uta Abe's emotional outburst after Paris Olympics 2024 elimination loss]
{{Footer Olympic Champions Judo Half Lightweight Women}} {{WC Judo Women's Half Lightweight}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abe, Uta}} Category:2000 births Category:Living people Category:Japanese female judoka Category:World judo champions Category:Olympic judoka for Japan Category:Olympic gold medalists for Japan Category:Olympic silver medalists for Japan Category:Olympic medalists in judo Category:Judoka at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Judoka at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Martial artists from Kobe Category:21st-century Japanese sportswomen