French judoka Kelvin Ray crashed out of the second round at the World Judo Championships on Monday, falling to reigning double Olympic champion Hifumi Abe in the under-66kg category after a gruelling bout settled by penalties during golden score.
A Grand Stage Debut Against an Olympic Titan
Competing at his first senior world championship at the age of 20, the Loire native and Paris Saint-Germain competitor arrived with clear ambitions of securing a podium finish.
His elimination came against Japan’s Hifumi Abe, widely recognized as one of the sport’s dominant modern figures and the reigning back-to-back Olympic gold medalist. The match stretched past regular time into the golden score period, where the outcome was ultimately decided by penalties rather than an ippon or waza-ari.
Proving Ground for the Paris Saint-Germain Competitor
While the defeat halted Ray’s tournament run earlier than he planned, taking an athlete of Abe’s caliber to the limit provided clear evidence of the young Frenchman’s competitive trajectory.
Representing Paris Saint-Germain on the domestic club circuit, Ray has steadily built his international resume.
Building Momentum Toward the 2028 Los Angeles Games
Although the loss stings for an athlete who set out to claim a medal in his maiden world appearance, the manner of his exit offers significant encouragement for French judo officials.
At just 20 years old, Ray’s performance against the division’s standard-bearer positions him as a serious contender to represent France at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
