Georgian sumo wrestler Tochinoshin promoted to second-highest rank of sumo
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The Georgian sumo wrestler Levan Gorgadze, known as Tochinoshin, has become the first Georgian and the third European sumo wrestler promoted to the second-highest rank of sumo: Ozeki, with only one step remaining to gain the highest title in the sport - Yokozuna.
The rank Ozeki is translated as champion, while Yokozuna stands for undefeated champion.
Holding the third-ranked title of Sekiwake, Tochinoshin has exhibited a consistent form in the summer calendar, claiming 12 consecutive victories.
He capped the impressive consistency with a defeat of Hakuho, a sumo champion holding the highest title of Yokozuna, last week.
The Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili congratulated Tochinoshin on the victory via his official Twitter page.
Congratulations @tochinoshin! Congratulations #Georgia ! Georgian #Sumo wrestler Levan Gorgadze is promoted to Ozeki! #GeorgiaWins#GrandSumopic.twitter.com/1hUjTpff9i
— Giorgi Kvirikashvili (@KvirikashviliGi) May 30, 2018
Tochinoshin has been victorious in 36 fixtures of the last three sumo competitions, which exceeds the necessary result for attaining the Ozeki title.
Tochinoshin took an oath for the new rank at 6 am today in Tokyo.
During the most recent sumo championship, which was completed on May 26, Tochinoshin became the vice-champion with 13 victories and two losses. During his 13th fight he broke his hand which made it complicated for him to win the competition.
Despite the trauma he continued the competition and won one out of two remaining fights.
The wrestler who won the championship, Yokozuna Kakuryu, won 14 fights, one more than Tochinoshin.
Born in Mtskheta, Georgia, Gorgadze has competed in 71 basho tournaments in sumo since 2006. He has won three Juryo Division Championships and two Makushita Division Championships.
The full statistics of Tochinoshin’s performances, as well as his awards, can be viewed on his profile page here.
The Georgian sumo wrestler Levan Gorgadze has made history several minutes ago, as he defeated sumo legend Hakuho Sho. Gogadze has already won 12 fights out of total 14 and he is too close to win the sumo championship. After the championship he is very likely to upgrade his title.
Georgian sumo champion Tochinoshin is set to be granted a promotion to the second-highest rank of the sport’s wrestlers following his consecutive wins in the ongoing competitive season in Japan.
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Sumo champion Tochinoshin has been awarded the top state title of the Knight of Sports of Georgia following his recent achievements in the Japanese competition.
The Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has hosted famous Georgian sumo wrestler Levan Gorgadze, also known as Tochinoshin, who has made history this year by winning the Sumo Grand Championship and upgrading his title to Ozeki, which is the second highest rank in the sport.
Georgians are signing an online petition, saying that coaches have made “a very unfair” decision today during the Sumo championship in Japan, declaring Japanese Asanoyama the winner when he “actually lost the game” in the fight against Tochinoshin [Georgian Levan Gorgadze].
Georgian sumo wrestler Levan Gorgadze, known in the sport’s community as Tochinoshin, has retired after his defeat in the East Juryo competition in Japan on Thursday, bringing to a close a career that spanned 17 years and included five titles.
The retirement ceremony, also known as dampatsu-shiki - a hair-cutting ceremony, of Georgian sumo wrestler Levan Gorgadze, known in the sports community as Tochinoshin, was held on Sunday in Japan, after the Georgian athlete announced his retirement in May 2023.