Okinoumi

is a retired Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Okinoshima, Shimane. He joined professional sumo in 2005, reaching the top division in 2010. He was runner-up in ''makuuchi'' three times in the January 2011, March 2013, and November 2017 tournaments, all with an 11–4 record. His highest rank was ''sekiwake'', which he held for one tournament in March 2015 and then held again in November 2016. He has won four Fighting Spirit prizes, one prize for Outstanding Performance, and four gold stars for defeating ''yokozuna.'' He wrestled for Hakkaku stable. Upon his retirement, Okinoumi became a sumo coach under the name of Kimigahama.

Early life and sumo background

At school he attended local sumo clubs and took part in national competitions, but had no desire to take up sumo as a profession, instead wanting to go to sea and taking examinations to become a licensed mariner. However, he ended up dropping out of high school and was introduced by an acquaintance to Hakkaku-''oyakata'', the 61st ''yokozuna'' Hokutoumi, who persuaded him to join his Hakkaku stable.

Okinoumi is known for his good looks. His stablemaster joked at a press conference after Okinoumi's promotion to ''jūryō'' that this made him envious.

Career

He began his professional career in January 2005, fighting under his family name of Fukuoka. He was promoted to the second highest ''jūryō'' division after taking the ''yūshō'' or tournament championship in the ''makushita'' division in January 2009 with a perfect 7–0 record. He changed his ''shikona'' to Okinoumi, a reference to his birthplace of Okinoshima (a tiny and remote island in Western Japan) which had been suggested by his father. He became the first ''sekitori'' from the Oki Islands since 1960. Troubled by a shoulder injury, he was demoted from ''jūryō'' after two losing records, but after reverting to the name Fukuoka he won immediate promotion back to ''jūryō'' in July 2009. Fighting as Okinoumi once again, in January 2010 he won promotion to the top ''makuuchi'' division, becoming the first wrestler from Shimane Prefecture to do so in 88 years. He came through with a ''kachi-koshi'' or winning record in his debut ''makuuchi'' tournament in March, winning his last three bouts to score 8–7. This saw him promoted to ''maegashira'' 10 for May.

He was suspended from the July 2010 tournament, along with several other wrestlers, after admitting involvement in illegal gambling on baseball. As a result, he dropped back to ''jūryō'' for September. Ranked at ''jūryō'' 8, a 10–5 record was enough to return him to the top division for the November tournament, where he secured his majority of wins on the final day. His best performance to date came in the January 2011 tournament where he finished runner-up to ''yokozuna'' Hakuhō and received his first '' sanshō'' award, for Fighting Spirit. This saw him promoted to a new highest rank of ''maegashira'' 4 for the May 2011 "technical examination tournament." There he fought all the top-ranked men for the first time and defeated three '' ōzeki'': Kaiō, Harumafuji and Kotoōshū. He lost his last two bouts, to ''komusubi'' Kakuryū and Toyonoshima, to fall to a ''make-koshi'' 7–8 but remained at the same rank for the next tournament. Securing his majority of wins on the final day of the July tournament, he reached a new highest rank of ''maegashira'' 1 in September. He achieved his first gold star win against Harumafuji in November 2012, and his second Fighting Spirit award and second runner-up performance at ''maegashira'' 7 in March 2013. He managed two non-consecutive ''komusubi'' appearances in 2013, but he slid down the rankings after four consecutive losing tournaments in 2014.

Following the January tournament in 2015 he was promoted to ''sekiwake'' from the relatively low rank of ''maegashira'' 6, benefiting from the failure of most of those ranked directly above him to get winning records. He was the first from Shimane Prefecture in 121 years. He was injured in his ''sekiwake'' debut and had to withdraw from the tournament. Nine wins in May and eleven in July 2015 saw him promoted to the ''san'yaku'' ranks for the fourth time (three at ''komusubi'', and one at ''sekiwake''). He was unable to hold the rank, scoring 6–9, and he also had a losing record in his fourth attempt at ''komusubi'' in May 2016. He picked up a ''kinboshi'' from ''maegashira'' 2 in July 2016, and had a very successful start to the September tournament, defeating ''ōzeki'' Kisenosato on opening day, Kakuryū on Day 2 and Harumafuji on Day 3. By the sixth day he had defeated two ''yokozuna'' and three ''ozeki'' and was the undefeated tournament co-leader. However he began losing in the second week of the tournament and finished on 9–6. He was rewarded for this efforts with his first Outstanding Performance Prize, and promotion back to ''sekiwake''.

The November 2016 tournament did not go well for Okinoumi who had a lingering injury that had caused him to miss the autumn tour. He ended the tournament with only a 5–10 record and fell back to the ''maegashira'' ranks. In the November 2017 tournament Okinoumi was a runner-up to Hakuhō with an 11–4 record, and was awarded his third Fighting Spirit prize, shared with Aminishiki. In September 2019 Okinoumi won his first eight matches to lead the tournament outright. He finished on 11–4 and received his fourth (and final) Fighting Spirit Award. In July 2020 Okinoumi returned to the ''komusubi'' rank for the first time since 2016, and secured his first winning record in ''san'yaku'' with a 9–6 score.

Retirement

Okinoumi withdrew from the January 2023 tournament after he was defeated in his first five matches. On the day of his withdrawal the ''Sanin Chūō Shimpō'' newspaper reported that Okinoumi had decided to retire. His retirement was confirmed by the Japan Sumo Association the next day, on 14 January 2023. At the time of his retirement he was the second-oldest active wrestler in the top two divisions behind Tamawashi. At his retirement press conference, Okinoumi said that for several years he had to rely on mental strength to overcome his inability to perform his style of sumo and that it had recently become too exhausting.

Okinoumi finished his career with a total of 75 tournaments ranked in the top division, eight of them in . He had acquired ''toshiyori kabu'', or elder stock, in the Sumo Association prior to his retirement. He is now a coach under the name of Kimigahama-''oyakata''.

Okinoumi opened his own Twitter account on the day of his retirement, as he was no longer subject to the Sumo Association's SNS ban. His ''danpatsu-shiki'' (retirement ceremony) has been scheduled for 30 September 2023 at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan.

Fighting style

Okinoumi was a ''yotsu-sumo'' fighter, preferring grappling techniques to pushing or thrusting. His most common winning ''kimarite'' was ''yori-kiri'' or force out, and he favoured a ''migi-yotsu'' grip on the ''mawashi'', with his left hand outside and right hand inside his opponent's arms. He also regularly used ''uwatenage'', or overarm throw.

Career record

See also

*List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
* List of active gold star earners
*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of active sumo wrestlers
*List of sekiwake
* Active special prize winners

References

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Okinoumi, Ayumi
1985 births
Living people
Japanese sumo wrestlers
Sumo people from Shimane Prefecture
Sekiwake