Sumo
OSAKA, March 17 (Kyodo) - Ozeki Kaio stormed to his seventh straight win Saturday while yokozuna Takanohana remained hot on his heels behind with another solid performance at the Spring Grand Sumo tournament. Kaio steams ahead,
Takanohana close behindGrand champion Musashimaru, however, saw his own title hopes take a hit after going down to third-ranked maegashira Kotomitsuki at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, leaving ozeki Musoyama and rank-and-filer Tamanoshima tied for second with Takanohana.
For Kaio, it was just another day at the office as the Tomozuna stable veteran got a two-handed clamp onto the back of Wakanosato's sash before slamming the sekiwake to the dirt for the win.
Takanohana's challenge for back-to-back titles remained intact as the yokozuna coolly showed Mongolia's Kyokutenho (2-5) a lesson in wrestling by shunting the maegashira top gun out of the ring.
In the day's major upset, however, Musashimaru got more than he bargained for against stubborn third-ranked maegashira Kotomitsuki (4-3), who twice fought back from the edge of the ring to bustle the Samoan-born giant out to a second loss.
Tamanoshima, back in sumo's premier league as a No. 10 maegashira after winning promotion from the second-tier juryo division with a 12-3 record in Januaru, plowed out sixth-ranked Kotonowaka (3-4) for his sixth win.
At ozeki, Musoyama eased to another win by gobbling up No. 2 maegashira Hayateumi (2-5) with minimum effort to keep his hopes of lifting his second Emperor's Cup following last year's New Year tourney triumph.
Dejima, bounced back from a hat-trick of losses and moved within four wins of retaining his ozeki status by blasting out second-ranked Chiyotenzan who slipped to 4-3.
Meanwhile, Miyabiyama enjoyed the luxury of a day off and improved to 3-4 courtesy of a default win over top-ranked maegashira Kotoryu (1-6) who pulled out after injuring his left elbow in Friday's loss to Kaio.
At komusubi, Tochiazuma (3-4) barged No. 4 maegashira Tokitsuumi out to his third loss but Wakanoyama was left still looking for his first win of the tourney after sekiwake Tochinonada (4-3) bundled the Musashigawa stable grappler out.
Earlier, Mongolian No. 6 maegashira Asashoryu shoved out ninth-ranked Kaiho (2-5) to move to 4-3 but winless fifth-ranked compatriot Kyokushuzan slipped within one loss of a losing record after being toppled by ninth-ranked Takatoriki (2-5).
OSAKA, March 17 (Kyodo) - Top maegashira Kotoryu pulled out of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament on Saturday, a day after he injured his left elbow in a loss to ozeki Kaio. Kotoryu drops out
Doctors said that the Sadogatake stable wrestler fractured a bone in his elbow after Kaio wrapped up the maegashira's arm at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium and wrenched him to the ring's surface with pressure against the left arm and joint.
Tumbling off of the dohyo, Kotoryu, who fell to his fifth loss in six days, was in obvious pain as he did not return to the ring immediately.
It will be the first time that the 29-year-old maegashira from Hyogo Prefecture will miss part of a tournament.
Kotoryu's opponent for Saturday, ozeki Miyabiyama, will win by default and improve to 3-4.
OSAKA, March 17 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts Saturday, the seventh day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (+ denotes juryo division wrestler): Results of day seven
Won Technique Lost
+Kitazakura 5-2 yorikiri Daishi 2-5
Tochinohana 5-2 yoritaoshi Jumonji 4-3
Hamanoshima 3-4 okuritaoshi Minatofuji 2-5
Aminishiki 5-2 yorikiri Asanowaka 2-5
Higonoumi 3-4 yorikiri Kinkaiyama 3-4
Tosanoumi 5-2 yorikiri Otsukasa 5-2
Tamakasuga 5-2 oshidashi Terao 4-3
Tamanoshima 6-1 yorikiri Kotonowaka 3-4
Asashoryu 4-3 oshidashi Kaiho 2-5
Takatoriki 2-5 oshitaoshi Kyokushuzan 0-7
Tochisakae 3-4 oshidashi Akinoshima 3-4
Takanonami 3-4 yorikiri Takanowaka 4-3
Tochiazuma 3-4 yorikiri Tokitsuumi 4-3
Tochinonada 4-3 oshidashi Wakanoyama 0-7
Musoyama 6-1 yorikiri Hayateumi 2-5
Kaio 7-0 uwatenage Wakanosato 4-3
Dejima 4-3 yorikiri Chiyotenzan 4-3
Miyabiyama 3-4 default Kotoryu 1-6
Kotomitsuki 4-3 yorikiri Musashimaru 5-2
Takanohana 6-1 yorikiri Kyokutenho 2-5
Sunday's bouts
Daishi 0 - 0 Jumonji
Hamanoshima 5 - 0 Kinkaiyama
Terao 0 - 1 Tochinohana
Tamanoshima 1 - 0 Aminishiki
Minatofuji 5 - 7 Takatoriki
Kaiho 4 - 3 Higonoumi
Tamakasuga 3 - 0 Otsukasa
Asanowaka 0 - 2 Tochisakae
Akinoshima 15 - 14 Kotonowaka
Tokitsuumi 0 - 1 Asashoryu
Tosanoumi 1 - 1 Takanowaka
Kyokushuzan 0 - 1 Hayateumi
Tochiazuma 3 - 0 Wakanoyama
Miyabiyama 2 - 0 Kyokutenho
Kotomitsuki 1 - 1 Musoyama
Kaio 3 - 0 Chiyotenzan
Tochinonada 1 - 10 Dejima
Takanohana 5 - 0 Wakanosato
Musashimaru 30 - 18 Takanonami
OSAKA, Japan (AP) - Ozeki (champion) Kaio extended a sole 7-0 lead Saturday, leaving behind Hawaii-born yokozuna (grand champion) Musashimaru with a second loss on the seventh day of the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament. Kaio extends sole lead
at 7-0, Musashimaru losesThree other wrestlers - yokozuna Takanohana, ozeki Musoyama and No. 10 maegashira (senior wrestler) Tamanoshima- now stand at 6-1, keeping them in a close race for the championship.
Executing a proven technique, Kaio grabbed sekiwake (junior champion) Wakanosato's belt with both hands and threw him down to the ground with his right arm at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in western Japan. Wakanosato is now 4-3.
In the day's biggest upset, No. 3 maegashira Kotomitsuki fought off heavyweight Musashimaru, or Fiamalu Penitani from Hawaii, to improve to 4-3.
The young maegashira grabbed hold of Musashimaru's belt and edged him out of the ring.
Takahohana, easily pushed out No. 1 maegashira Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Tsevegnyam Nyamjav, to keep his single loss.
Ozeki Dejima pushed out No. 2 maegashira Chiyotenzan, ending his losing streak to improve to 4-3. Chiyotenzan also stands at 4-3.
Another ozeki, Miyabiyama, was declared victor when his opponent, No. 1 maegashira Kotoryu pulled out of the tournament Saturday due to an injury from his match against Kaio Friday.
In other bouts, No. 6 maegashira Asashoryu, or Mongolian Dolgorsvren Dagvadrj - now 4-3 - pushed No. 9 maegashira Kaiho out with fierce hand thrusts.
Winless No. 5 maegashira Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, was slapped out of the ring by No. 9 maegashira Takatoriki, leaving him at 0-7. Takatoriki is 2-5.
Komusubi (junior champion second class) Tochiazuma bulldozed No. 4 maegashira Tokitsuumi out of the ring to move to 3-4. Tokitsuumi was left at 4-3.
The two foreign wrestlers in the 26-member juryo division, just below the senior makuuchi division, won their bouts.
No. 9-ranked Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller, improved his score to 5-2 when he took No. 3-ranked Wakatsutomu's head with his arms and slammed him down to the ground, using a technique approved this year.
No. 7-ranked Kuniazuma, or Brazilian Vander Ramos, won over No. 2-ranked Aogiyama, to improve 3-4. Aogiyama stands at Aogiyama 1-3-3, or one win, three sit-outs and three losses.
In makushita, the top junior division, No. 4-ranked Wakaazuma, or Yoshinobu Kuroda from Brazil, and No. 13-ranked Hoshitango, or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, won.
Wakaazuma defeated No. 5-ranked Daimanazuru to stand at 2-2 while Hoshitango, now 3-1, pushed No. 16-ranked Daishodai out of the ring.
Two other foreign makushita wrestlers lost. Winless No. 13-ranked Kasugaoh, or Kim Son-tek from South Korea, extended his losses to four when he was overpowered by No. 12-ranked Hokutoriki.
No. 32-ranked Asasekiryu, or Mongolian Badaarch Dashunyam, was left at 1-3 when defeated by No. 37-ranked Aranonami.
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