Hifumi Abe can become the youngest male winner in Paris

Hifumi Abe is certainly one of the most promising judoka around. The 19-year old Japanese sensation won the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014. He fought the World Junior Championships final in 2014 and won silver at the World Cadet Championships in Miami. But these days he is aiming for gold at each senior event.

At 11 February Abe will be one of the favourites for gold at the Grand Slam of Paris. He had already won the Grand Slam in Tokyo last year December and the Grand Prix Tashkent in 2015. He won the Grand Slam in Tyumen when he was still 18. So Abe is looking forward to the Paris Grand Slam. None of the winners U66kg since 2009 was below 20 and he can become the youngest male winner ever, younger than Takato in 2013. Both youngsters speak about the Grand Slam.

ABE Hifumi (JPN) -66kg

"The Paris Grand Slam is special because it’s a competition where a number of top judoka around the world gather which makes the level almost equivalent to the World Championships.

I think it’s very important as it is one of the most important events for the selection of the World Championships for the Japanese team."

TAKATO Naohisa (JPN) -60kg, bronze in Rio

"Just as strong as the World Judo Championships, the Paris Grand Slam will be attended by extremely high level judoka from across the world.

The Paris Grand Slam is the most important tournament for me to be selected as a member of the National Team for the 2017 World Judo Championships. Not to mention that I should win, but the content of the match also matters."

The Grand Slam in Paris was held since 2009, before the Tournoi de Paris had strong winners. In 2005 Ilias Iliadis was the youngest male winner ever at the age of 18. Noriko Mizugochi was the youngest female winner ever aged 16 in 1988.

Watch the latest IJF Magazine of the 2016 Grand Slam in Tokyo below