Defending judo champion Uta Abe gets overwhelming love, support after Paris loss

Crowds cheered and showed support for Japan’s Uta Abe after she failed to defend her Olympic judo title in the women’s -52kg category at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Sunday, losing to Uzbekistan’s Diyora Keldiyorova.

Several spectators at the Champ-de-Mars Arena chanted her name as her coach tried to console her following the defeat. Speaking to reporters, Abe vowed to “bounce back with real strength that enables me to win gold on the biggest stage again,” adding, “Today I succumbed to the pressure of the Olympics. I’ll take my time to calm down and reflect on what I’ve done.”