Abe Seals Fifth World Crown with Explosive Seoi-nage

Hifumi Abe captured his fifth world title at -66 kg in Baku, finishing the final against Spain’s David Garcia Torne with a huge Seoi-nage for Ippon. The Japanese star needed only one minute to settle the contest and underline his status at the top of world judo.

The result came after a demanding day for Abe. He had won his earlier contests, but the bouts were long and he struggled to find his usual rhythm. That gave Garcia Torne, appearing in his first world championship final, reason to believe that an upset was possible.

The Spanish judoka had reached the final through determined performances rather than a run of spectacular Ippon victories. He kept finding solutions under pressure and arrived on the biggest stage of his career with real belief. His silver medal was a major achievement for Spain.

But Abe removed every remaining doubt almost immediately. After a patient start, he generated the power for a decisive Seoi-nage, throwing Garcia Torne cleanly for Ippon. It was a sharp, emphatic finish after a difficult route through the category.

One powerful Seoi-nage ended the final in just one minute.

Abe said the hard contests earlier in the day made the fifth title feel even more meaningful. He had focused on building each fight carefully, then delivered the kind of strong Ippon finish he wanted when the final moment arrived. With another Olympic Games and future world championships ahead, he made clear that he wants to keep proving himself at the highest level.

Europe also featured on the -66 kg podium through Moldova’s Denis Vieru. The Olympic and double world medallist took bronze after a close contest with Murad Chopanov of Russia. A small counter from Vieru proved decisive in the final seconds of a bout packed with attacks, counters and acrobatic exchanges.

The other bronze medal went to Japan’s Takeshi Takeoka. Following his semi-final loss to Abe, Takeoka responded against Mongolia’s Baskhuu Yondonperenlei with two Tomoe-nage scores. The first earned Waza-ari, and the second came less than a minute later to secure his place on the podium.

Garcia Torne left Baku with silver, while Vieru’s bronze added another European medal to the category. At the centre of it all, however, was Abe’s final throw: a one-minute statement from a champion who continues to set the standard at -66 kg.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation