Bulgarian rikishi Kotooshu Katunori, 6ft 8in tall and 340 lbs, has become the first European sumo wrestler to win the Emperor's Cup in Japan. Known as the Beckham of sumo, he missed his chance to seal victory on Friday after a loss against a lower-ranked wrestler.

However, on Saturday, he sealed a 13-1 record on Saturday, to win the fifteen-day tournament. Kotooshu had been touted to appear in the sumo event at the 2000 Summer Olympics as a Greco-Roman wrestler until his current coach found him and wanted him to take up sumo.

The sumo world remains tainted, however, after the bad boy of the sport, Asashoryu, was banned for three months after appearing in a charity soccer match while still injured. Kotooshu, despite being eight inches taller than the legendary Hawaiian-born Konishiki, who retired in 1997, is nearly 240 lbs (112 kg) lighter.

Full story here.

I thought sumo wrestlers were generally much heavier than 340lbs... but good for him - he got a big time first.

Ant