Kitanoumi Toshimitsu

Kitanoumi in 2013

Kitanoumi Toshimitsu (北の湖敏満 Obata Toshimitsu; May 16, 1953 – November 20, 2015) was a Japanese sumo wrestler. He was the dominant yokozuna in sumo during the 1970s. Kitanoumi was promoted to yokozuna at age 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank, and he remained a yokozuna for a record 63 tournaments.

He won 24 tournament championships during his career. Following his retirement in 1985 he established Kitanoumi stable. He was chairman of the Japan Sumo Association from 2002 until 2008, and from 2012 until his death.

Kitanoumi died of multiple organ failure caused by colorectal cancer on the evening of November 20, 2015, aged 62.[1] He was in Fukuoka for the Kyushu tournament and was taken to hospital for anemia in the morning, after which his condition deteriorated.[2]

Kitanoumi Toshimitsu Media

References

  1. 北の湖理事長が死去、62歳 元横綱・優勝24度 Archived 2015-11-20 at the Wayback Machine. Asahi. November 20, 2015
  2. "Sumo association head Kitanoumi dies at 62". Nikkei Asian Review. November 20, 2015. Archived from the original on November 22, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2015.

Other websites

  Media related to Kitanoumi Toshimitsu at Wikimedia Commons