Ed Odeven 
Uta Abe competes against Serbia's Nikolina Nisavic in a Pool C match at the Baku Grand Slam on February 14, 2025, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (©AP/via KYODO)
Read the full story on SportsLook - [ODDS and EVENS] Judoka Uta Abe Excels in Comeback at the Baku Grand Slam
With three victories in three judo matches at the Baku Grand Slam, Uta Abe delivered a robust reminder of her place within the sport's pecking order.
The Kobe native, a four-time world champion in the women's 52-kg division, competed in the Azerbaijani capital on Friday, February 14, and claimed the 10th Grand Slam title of her illustrious career.
Indeed, the spotlight was on Abe as she was back in action for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics.
After a stunning second-round loss to Diyora Keldiyorova of Uzbekistan at the Paris Games, Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Abe had vowed to "start from scratch again," Kyodo News reported.
The magnitude of Abe's loss to the eventual Paris gold medalist cannot be overstated. Her overall brilliance as a judoka was one of the sport's defining traits for years. Olympics.com recently summed it up by writing, "For years, she seemed untouchable, dominating her division."
Abe, 24, mentioned her most immediate goal in an interview with Kyodo News.
"I have to win the world title," she was quoted as saying in the run-up to the Baku Grand Slam. "I'll try to stick to my style of judo and win one match at a time."
The 2025 World Judo Championships will be held June 13-20 in Budapest. Expect Abe to be in the hunt for another world title.
Before that, she'll have additional opportunities to fine-tune her judo skills in various tournaments.
The Road to Victory for Uta Abe in Baku
On a busy Valentine's Day, competing in the sport that she loves, Abe conquered three opponents to secure the Baku Grand Slam title.
Serbia's Nikolina Nisavic was Abe's first opponent of the day, followed by Hungary's Roza Gyertyas. And in the 52-kg women's final, it was Abe vs Mascha Ballhaus of Germany.
Abe outlasted Nisavic in overtime in her opening match of the Baku tourney. She showed patience and endurance along the way.
After that Abe's superiority resulted in a rapid triumph over Gyertyas, wrapping up the match in just nine seconds. In doing so, she deployed a textbook ko-soto-gari (foot-throwing technique) with precision.
Displaying abundant energy and quick, powerful movements, Abe was sharp while performing various judo techniques. She appeared to have a singular focus throughout her three matches. It was all about winning.
Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
