Judo / Uta Abe Thoughts on “Gold medal on the same day as brothers and sisters”. “I never lost my motivation” | Martial Arts | Shueisha’s sports magazine Sportiva official website web Sportiva

Uta Abe aiming for a gold medal in the 52 kg class of judo women at the Tokyo Olympics

–There are only a few places left until the Olympics.

“Since the beginning of this year, I feel that the passage of time is surprisingly fast (laughs). In a blink of an eye, there is only one month left. The conditions are rising to the climax for the Olympics.”

――Winner of the Judo Grand Slam (GS) Tashkent Tournament held in March. However, in the comment after the match, I left a comment that “I was scared by the opponent”.

“The Grand Slam in March was the first actual battle for me in about a year. It was a tournament with the theme of” how much I can do my judo in a high tension “in anticipation of the Olympics. However, honestly, there was a part where my body didn’t move as I expected. The content of the game didn’t look right. “

――It seemed that the finish was good, with one win in all games (the final was a bye), but it was a poor match for Abe himself.

“That’s right. Although the movement was stiff, I felt that the opponent was studying my judo. So, the rest of the period until the Olympics after the tournament is to overcome the opponent’s research. I thought it was a preparation period. Specifically, I wanted to increase the pattern of fighting while keeping my own judo of “aiming at one” as the axis. In fact, at the Grand Slam Kazan tournament in May I think I was able to make use of this experience. “

――In November of last year, while leaving the actual battle due to the corona disaster, Pablo Picasso said at the entrance welcome ceremony of Nippon Sport Science University, “If you think you can do it, you can’t do it. Abe’s speech, which quoted “Are,” attracted a lot of attention.

“Last year, I lost the gold medal I was aiming for (the opportunity to win), but I hope I can tell that I haven’t given up on that goal. I myself have a strong feeling in my competitive life. I realize that I can definitely achieve my goal if I do, because I believe that I can achieve my goal of winning a gold medal even if the Olympics are postponed, even if it is affected by the Corona disaster. “