Abe demonstrated his dominance in the men's -66kg category, easily overcoming his first two opponents, Bence Pongracz of Hungary and Nurali Emomali of Tajikistan, in the elimination rounds. In the semi-final, world number one Denis Vieru from Moldova posed a tougher challenge. However, Abe secured victory by throwing Vieru with an ippon just nine seconds into the Golden Score, propelling him into the final.

At the bottom of the bracket, few anticipated a semi-final showdown between Gusman Kyrgyzbayev of Kazakhstan and Willian Lima of Brazil. Kyrgyzbayev, inspired by Yeldos Smetov’s success, avenged his previous loss to Spain's David Garcia Torne from the 2023 Kazakhstan Grand Slam. He then eliminated Rio 2020 runner-up and Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist An Baul of Korea, followed by the home crowd favorite, 2023 World bronze medallist Walide Khyar, who had previously ousted Tokyo 2020 runner-up Vazha Margvelashvili in the first round.

Meanwhile, Lima knocked out Serdar Rahimov of Turkmenistan, the 2024 Dushanbe Grand Slam winner, and two-time World bronze medallist Yondonperenlein Baskhuü of Mongolia. In a clash of styles, Lima triumphed over Kyrgyzbayev in a golden score to secure his place in the final.

Gusman Kyrgyzbayev secured Kazakhstan's second medal in the judo competition by defeating Serbia's Strahinja Buncic to claim the bronze. In the other bronze medal bout, Denis Vieru, renowned as one of the most technically skilled judokas in his weight class, clinched his first Olympic medal by scoring a waza-ari against Walide Khyar in the closing moments of their match.

In the women’s -52 kg category, Diyora Keldiyorova showcased an impressive performance. After her notable victory over Uta Abe in the second round, she faced the only two other judokas who have ever defeated Abe at the international level. Keldiyorova first overcame Germany’s Mascha Ballhaus, and then secured her spot in the final by scoring a decisive waza-ari against Amandine Buchard of France, the Tokyo 2020 individual runner-up and team champion.

In the second semi-final of the women’s -52 kg category, Tokyo 2020 champion in the -48 kg class, Distria Krasniqi of Kosovo, faced 2024 World champion Odette Giuffrida. The bout lasted over six minutes and concluded when Giuffrida received her third caution, disqualifying her.

Despite Krasniqi's valiant efforts, it was Diyora Keldiyorova's day. The Uzbek athlete scored a waza-ari in the final, which proved sufficient to secure the gold medal. The 26-year-old triumphed over three Olympic champions in one tournament, earning her well-deserved victory and solidifying her place at the top of the podium.

In the bronze medal bout of the women’s -52 kg category, Odette Giuffrida faced Brazil's Larissa Pimenta. Giuffrida, despite her efforts, lost by shido, giving Pimenta the victory and the bronze medal. Joining Pimenta on the podium was Amandine Buchard of France, who defeated Hungary's Reka Pupp to secure France's third judo medal of the competition.

Looking ahead, the third day of judo competition promises to be thrilling with the men’s -73 kg and women’s -57 kg categories taking center stage. Fans can anticipate intense matches as top judokas from around the world vie for Olympic glory, further adding to the excitement and drama of the Paris Games.