Churanoumi Yoshihisa
美ノ海 義久
Personal information
BornShinji Kizaki
6 May 1993
Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight141 kg (311 lb)
Career
StableKise
UniversityNihon University
Current ranksee below
Record254-237-1
DebutMarch 2016
Highest rankMaegashira 15 (November, 2023)
Championships3 (Makushita, Sandanme, Jonidan)
* Up to date as of 30 October 2023.

Churanoumi Yoshihisa (Japanese: 美ノ海 義久, born 6 May 1993 as Shinji Kizaki (木﨑 信志, Kizaki Shinji)) is a professional Japanese sumo wrestler from Okinawa Prefecture who debuted in March 2016. He has won three lower-division championships and reached the top makuuchi division in November 2023. His highest rank is maegashira 15. He wrestles for Kise stable. His younger brother was his stablemate at Kise under the shikona Kizakiumi (木崎海) until his retirement in August 2020.[1]

Early life

Kizaki started sumo wrestling in elementary school in his native Okinawa. While in elementary school, he trained with high school students at Chūbu Norin High School, where his uncle was the sumo coach. In his second year of junior high school he placed in the top 16 in the National Junior High School Sumo Tournament.[2] Originally intending to enter Chūbu Norin, he changed his mind and attended Tottori Jōhoku High School in Tottori Prefecture after visiting that school for a training session.[3] One of his classmates, whom he defeated in individual competition, was future makuuchi champion Ichinojō.[4]

Sumo career

After attending Nihon University,[5] Kizaki was recruited by former maegashira Higonoumi, the stablemaster of Kise stable.[3] Ineligible to start higher on the banzuke under the tsukedashi system at the time, Kizaki's maezumo took place at the March 2016 tournament. In the following tournament he was officially ranked at the bottom jonokuchi division and won six of his seven matches. He then moved up the rankings, winning the jonidan championship in July and the sandanme championship in September with perfect records.

In May 2019 Kizaki was promoted to sekitori status with the rank of jūryō, having just won the makushita championship. Upon this promotion he changed his shikona, or ring name, from his birth surname to Churanoumi.[6] After suffering a ten-loss record he was immediately demoted back to makushita, where he stayed until he was promoted to jūryō for the second time in January 2020. Aside from one tournament in July 2021 spent in makushita, he remained in the jūryō division; in September 2023 he won 10 of 15 matches for the first time in his career.[5]

In November 2023 Churanoumi was promoted to the top makuuchi division.[7] He told reporters that he was happy to receive the top-division promotion before the tournament in Kyushu, where many Okinawans come.[7]

Fighting style

Churanoumi uses pushing and thrusting techniques, with his top kimarite being oshidashi (frontal push out) and yorikiri (frontal force out). He most commonly uses a hidari-yotsu grip, where his left hand is inside his opponent's right arm.

Career record

Churanoumi Yoshihisa[8]
Year in sumo January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo
March
Haru basho, Osaka
May
Natsu basho, Tokyo
July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya
September
Aki basho, Tokyo
November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
2016 x (Maezumo) West Jonokuchi #15
61
 
East Jonidan #38
70P
Champion

 
West Sandanme #39
70
Champion

 
East Makushita #26
43
 
2017 East Makushita #21
52
 
West Makushita #13
43
 
East Makushita #9
43
 
East Makushita #7
52
 
West Makushita #3
34
 
East Makushita #7
34
 
2018 East Makushita #11
43
 
East Makushita #7
43
 
East Makushita #4
43
 
West Jūryō #14
510
 
West Makushita #2
34
 
West Makushita #5
34
 
2019 East Makushita #9
43
 
East Makushita #5
70
Champion

 
East Jūryō #14
510
 
West Makushita #3
34
 
East Makushita #6
52
 
East Makushita #1
43
 
2020 West Jūryō #12
87
 
West Jūryō #7
69
 

Tournament Cancelled
000
West Jūryō #9
87
 
East Jūryō #7
87
 
East Jūryō #6
87
 
2021 West Jūryō #3
771
 
East Jūryō #5
510
 
West Jūryō #9
312
 
West Makushita #3
52
 
East Jūryō #14
96
 
West Jūryō #8
78
 
2022 West Jūryō #9
69
 
West Jūryō #10
510
 
West Jūryō #14
96
 
West Jūryō #9
96
 
West Jūryō #6
96
 
East Jūryō #2
411
 
2023 East Jūryō #6
411
 
West Jūryō #10
96
 
West Jūryō #7
78
 
West Jūryō #7
87
 
East Jūryō #5
105
 
West Maegashira #15
96
 
2024 East Maegashira #13

 
x x x x x
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Top Division Runner-up Retired Lower Divisions

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: =Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi Jūryō Makushita Sandanme Jonidan Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna Ōzeki Sekiwake Komusubi Maegashira

See also

References

  1. "十両木崎海が引退届、兄の美ノ海と兄弟関取で活躍" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  2. "Spring Tournament Review". Sumo News (in Japanese). Baseball Magazine Sha. April 2016. p. 110.
  3. 1 2 "Spring Tournament Review". Sumo News (in Japanese). Baseball Magazine Sha. April 2017. p. 90.
  4. "第66回国民体育大会における鳥取県選手団の成績について" (PDF) (in Japanese). Tottori Prefectural Board of Education. 24 October 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 "美ノ海が新入幕 大相撲九州場所の新番付 沖縄出身では17年ぶり「正面から戦う力士になりたい」" (in Japanese). Okinawa Times. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  6. "新十両に美ノ海ら昇進「沖縄の人に応援してもらえるように」" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  7. 1 2 "美ノ海が新入幕「沖縄の人たちも多く来てくれる九州場所で決められたことが大きい」" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  8. "Churanoumi Yoshihisa Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
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