Sumo: Onosato becomes yokozuna at record pace after 13 tournaments
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Onosato was promoted to sumo's highest rank of yokozuna on Wednesday, attaining the honor at a record pace after competing in just 13 professional tournaments.
The 24-year-old from Ishikawa Prefecture became the 75th yokozuna and the first Japanese-born grand champion since his stablemaster Nishonoseki, the former Kisenosato, who won his promotion after the New Year meet in 2017.
Onosato ensured his promotion by winning the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament with two days to spare on Friday, achieving the required benchmark of back-to-back championships as an ozeki, the second-highest rank.
The Japan Sumo Association officially approved Onosato's elevation at an extraordinary board meeting on Wednesday.
The previous record holder under the six-tournament calendar introduced in 1958 was the late Wajima, another Ishikawa native, who had contested 21 meets upon his promotion after the May 1973 tournament.
Onosato joins 14-time winner Wajima as the only wrestler to become a grand champion after entering the professional ranks from university.
The imposing 192-centimeter, 191-kilogram star, who excels both with his pushing and grappling techniques, has won four Emperor's Cups having claimed his first last May.
Onosato is set to forge a rivalry with Mongolian yokozuna Hoshoryu, who reached the rank after January's New Year meet. They will go head-to-head as yokozuna for the first time at July's Nagoya meet at the newly built IG Arena.
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