Paris 2024 Olympics: Diyora Keldiyorova makes history as Uzbekistan's first Olympic judo champion and first female judo medallist

28 July 2024 will be remembered as the day that Diyora Keldiyorova made history for Uzbekistan.

The -52kg champion made her statement early in the Paris 2024 preliminaries when she took out Tokyo 2020 -52kg Olympic champion and four-time world champion Abe Uta, which may very well be remembered as one of the biggest upsets of these Olympic Games.

Her 52kg gold medal is historic, as she became the first Olympic champion for Uzbekistan in judo and the first female medallist in judo.

“It's an amazing feeling — the first gold medal for Uzbekistan, and also from a woman. I'm so happy.”

"She [Abe Uta] is a big champion. I respect her, I love her, I like her fighting. But I don't know, maybe it's my day today … nobody knows that it's my day and then I’m an Olympic champion," Keldiyorova said proudly.

Tokyo 2020 -48kg Olympic champion Distria Krasniqi of Kosovo clinched her second Olympic medal, silver, having moved up to the -52kg weight category after Tokyo.

Brazil's Larissa Pimenta took a tactical victory over reining world champion Odette Giuffrida of Italy for bronze, with whom she shared a lovely moment of friendship after the bronze-medal match.

Tokyo 2020 silver medallist and mixed team gold medallist Amandine Buchard brought the crowd to its feet in the Champ du Mars Arena as she brought more glory to the host nation, this time in the form of Olympic bronze.

"After a day like today, it wasn't possible for me to finish without a medal. So I gave it my best for myself, my people and the ones cheering for me," Buchard said. "But I finished these Games with a victory and it wasn't the case at Tokyo, so it is a unique feeling."

Judo: -52kg podium

Gold: Diyora Keldiyorova, Uzbekistan

Silver: Distria Krasniqi, Kosovo

Bronze: Larissa Pimenta, Brazil

Bronze: Amandine Buchard, France