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Sumo
TOKYO, May 18 (Kyodo) -- Yokozuna pair Takanohana and Akebono watched Kaio pull out another win Thursday, then matched the resurgent komusubi by upping their own records to the same 11-1 mark to tie for the lead at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. Akebono still
tied for lead at
summer sumoContinuing the pattern of the 15-day meet at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, Takanohana again looked the most impressive as he all but extinguished Miyabiyama's chances of ozeki promotion, taking the young sekiwake to school in the day's final bout.
After an initial clash of heads, Takanohana, who is chasing his 21st Emperor's Cup, quickly secured a strong right-hand belt grip and backed Miyabiyama to the straw bails before yanking him to the dirt and handing the Musashigawa stable wrestler his fourth loss.
Akebono, meanwhile, used his 230-kilogram bulk to barge out Takanonami, who slipped to a precarious 6-6 record and must now win two of his last three bouts to avoid demotion from ozeki after a losing record at the spring tourney in March.
Earlier, Kaio chased out No. 3 maegashira Oginishiki (5-7) in a bout which was over as soon as it started to stay in the hunt for his first Emperor's Cup triumph.
No. 12 maegashira Tochinohana, making his debut in sumo's top makuuchi division, continued on his dramatic learning curve as he survived a blitz from ozeki Chiyotaikai (9-3) to boost his record to a remarkable 10-2.
Chiyotaikai threatened to take his opponent's head off with a fierce salvo of forearm slaps to the face and neck, but Tochinohana found enough energy to duck under the ozeki's attack and plow him into the ringside cushions for a tough win.
In other bouts, ozeki Dejima flattened No. 5 maegashira Kaiho (4-7) to post his eighth win of the meet, while sekiwake Tochiazuma improved to 9-3 by slapping down fifth-ranked Kotoryu, who dropped to 6-6.
In a match-up of komusubi, Tosanoumi bulldozed out Takatoriki to go to 7-5, while his veteran opponent, who could be forgiven for resting on his laurels after his surprise Emperor's Cup win in Osaka, left the ring with a disastrous 2-10 record.
It was a good day for Mongolian sumo fans, however, as No. 4 maegashira Kyokushuzan (3-9) and sixth-ranked Kyokutenho (5-7) both won to add a touch of respectability to disappointing records.
TOKYO, May 18 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts on Thursday, the 12th day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo (+ denotes juryo division wrestler): Results
Won Technique Lost +Oikari 5-7 oshidashi Asanosho 1-11 Higonoumi 7-5 yorikiri +Wakakosho 6-6 Kotonowaka 8-4 yorikiri Shikishima 5-7 Kinkaiyama 4-8 oshitaoshi Terao 4-8 Aogiyama 7-5 oshidashi Takanowaka 6-6 Akinoshima 8-4 oshidashi Toki 7-5 Kyokutenho 5-7 yorikiri Jumonji 4-8 Hayateumi 8-4 sukuinage Chiyotenzan 4-8 Tamakasuga 7-5 sukuinage Tokitsuumi 5-7 Kyokushuzan 3-9 susoharai Wakanoyama 4-8 Tochinonada 4-8 yorikiri Daizen 2-10 Asanowaka 3-9 oshidashi Hamanoshima 2-10 Kaio 11-1 oshidashi Oginishiki 5-7 Tosanoumi 7-5 yorikiri Takatoriki 2-10 Tochiazuma 9-3 hikiotoshi Kotoryu 6-6 Tochinohana 10-2 yoritaoshi Chiyotaikai 9-3 Dejima 8-4 yoritaoshi Kaiho 4-8 Akebono 11-1 oshidashi Takanonami 6-6 Takanohana 11-1 uwatenage Miyabiyama 8-4
Results in Scoreboard
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Kyodo News Service