Published on : 05/08/2021 – 12:25
Olympism is sometimes a family affair. In Tokyo, the two young Japanese judokas, Uta and Hifumi Abe, realized their dream of bringing home their first Olympic title together. Other siblings shared their emotions like the Tremble twins in artistic swimming.
With the Games behind closed doors and the impossibility for foreigners to make the trip to Japan, most athletes regretted not performing in front of their families. But some have been fortunate enough to find themselves with a relative by their side.
We remember the two Syrian brothers, Mohamad and Alaa Maso, who hugged each other during the opening ceremony. The image moved social networks. One is part of the delegation from Syria, the other from the Olympic refugee team.
Promise kept for Japanese judokas Uta and Hifumi Abe
There were also the two young Japanese judokas, Uta and Hifumi Abe, 23 and 21, who made their dream at Nippon Budokan come true: to bring home their first Olympic title in judo together. ” In 2021 we will win two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics as a brother and sister “, Hifumi Abe promised on social networks during the New Year. Promise kept. He became Olympic champion a few minutes after his sister Uta. For the first time, two siblings won Olympic gold on the same day, in the same discipline and in two different draws. A performance they had already achieved during the 2018 Worlds.
For France, the 22-year-old twins Charlotte and Laura Tremble, the only representatives of France in artistic swimming, finished eighth in the final of the free duo for their first Olympics. The two sisters learned to swim together ” very small “, And did not see each other” live this experience one without the other. We have always traveled in pairs, we’ve been in the same room for years for competitions abroad, so we’re used to it. “Their complicity does not stop at the pool since the two young swimmers want to become aeronautical engineers.
The coxless of twins Guillaume and Thibaud Turlan did not get a medal. ” The absence of an audience will give us a feeling of emptiness, but being there with someone close allows us to put into perspective », Said Thibaud Turlan before the start of the Games.
Tillie father and son
Laurent Tillie, the coach of the French volleyball team is happy to share this event with his son Kevin, manager of the Blues. ” The family had planned to come to Tokyo. But everything was canceled at the last moment unfortunately », Laurent Tillie explained.
In pole vault, pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie was widely applauded by his younger brother Valentin in the stands, he who could not qualify for the final. In climbing, for the first time at the Olympics, we could not see Mickaël and Bassa Mawem evolve. The two qualified for the final but Bassa, seriously injured in the left bicep, had to forfeit. Luka Karabatic and Nikola Karabatic, they will experience a fourth Olympic final in a row for the Blues at the handball tournament.
Family stories at the Games are not exceptional. We can remember the sisters Venus and Serena Williams in tennis or the famous Klitschko brothers in boxing.
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