The Sumo World Championships is an amateur sumo competition organized by the International Sumo Federation. The men's competition started in 1992 and the women's competition started in 2001, with both competitions having been held together. The competitions are generally held every year, although the 2009 and 2011 events were cancelled due to the 2009 flu pandemic and political unrest over the Arab Spring respectively.[1] The 24th edition, originally scheduled to take place in Russia in 2022, will now be held in Tokyo in late 2023.[2]

Weight classes

1992–2018

Weight class Men Women Jr. Men* Jr. Women*
Open Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted
Heavyweight ≥115 kg ≥80 kg ≥100 kg ≥75 kg
Middleweight 85−115 kg 65–80 kg 80–100 kg 60–75 kg
Lightweight <85 kg <65 kg <80 kg <60 kg

 *   Age restrictions of 13–18 years old apply

2019–present

Weight class Men Women Jr. Men* Jr. Women*
Open Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted
Heavyweight ≥115 kg ≥80 kg ≥100 kg ≥75 kg
Light Heavyweight 100–115kg 73–80 kg (Unused)
Middleweight 85−100 kg 65–73 kg 80–100 kg 60–75 kg
Lightweight <85 kg <65 kg <80 kg <60 kg

 *   Age restrictions of 13–18 years old apply

Men's Individual competition

The wrestlers who subsequently entered professional sumo (or were former professionals) also have their ring name or shikona listed.

  Year Host Weight class Winner Country shikona ref
1st 1992 Japan Tokyo Openweight Kazuo Saitō  Japan [3]
Heavyweight Takeharu Dejima  Japan Dejima Takeharu
Lightweight Akihiro Kiku  Japan
2nd 1993 Openweight Sunao Yasu  Japan [4]
Heavyweight Fumihito Tsuruga  Japan Hokutomori Fumihito [ja]
Middleweight Akihiro Kiku  Japan
Lightweight Hitoshi Omura  Japan
3rd 1994 Openweight Badmanyambuu Bat-Erdene  Mongolia [5]
Heavyweight Keiji Tamiya  Japan Kotomitsuki Keiji
Middleweight Ryōji Kumagai  Japan Kaihō Ryōji
Lightweight Bayanmnh Gantogtoh  Mongolia
4th 1995 Openweight Emmanuel Yarborough  United States [6]
Heavyweight Naohito Saitō  Japan Hayateumi Hidehito
Middleweight Ryōji Kumagai  Japan Kaihō Ryōji
Lightweight Agvaansamdan Suhbat  Mongolia
5th 1996 Openweight Mark Robinson  South Africa [7]
Heavyweight Koichi Katō  Japan
Middleweight Tatsurō Takahama  Japan Hamanishiki Tatsurō
Lightweight Hitoshi Omura  Japan
6th 1997 Openweight Naohito Saitō  Japan Hayateumi Hidehito [8]
Heavyweight Keiji Tamiya  Japan Kotomitsuki Keiji
Middleweight Tatsurō Takahama  Japan Hamanishiki Tatsurō
Lightweight Agvaansamdan Suhbat  Mongolia
7th 1998 Openweight Keiji Tamiya  Japan Kotomitsuki Keiji [9]
Heavyweight Jörg Brümmer  Germany
Middleweight Tatsurō Takahama  Japan Hamanishiki Tatsurō
Lightweight Svetoslav Binev  Bulgaria
8th 1999 Germany Riesa Openweight Levan Ebanoidze Georgia (country) Georgia [10]
Heavyweight Takahisa Osanai  Japan
Middleweight Hideto Tsushima  Japan
Lightweight Svetoslav Binev  Bulgaria
9th 2000 Brazil São Paulo Openweight Tōru Kakizoe  Japan Kakizoe Tōru [11]
Heavyweight Takahisa Osanai  Japan
Middleweight Aias Mongouch  Russia
Lightweight Peer Schmidt-Düwiger  Germany
10th 2001 Japan Aomori Openweight Torsten Scheibler  Germany [12]
Heavyweight Robert Paczków  Poland
Middleweight Aias Mongouch  Russia
Lightweight Chōhei Kimura  Japan
11th 2002 Poland Kraków Openweight Alan Karaev  Russia [13]
Heavyweight Robert Paczków  Poland
Middleweight David Tsallagov  Russia
Lightweight Claudio Ikemori  Brazil
− 2003 Hong Kong Hong Kong Cancelled due to the SARS outbreak.
12th 2004 Germany Riesa Openweight Keishō Shimoda  Japan Wakakeishō Hiroki [ja] [14]
Heavyweight Takayuki Ichihara  Japan Kiyoseumi Takayuki
Middleweight Katsuo Yoshida  Japan
Lightweight Vitaliy Tikhenko  Ukraine
13th 2005 Japan Osaka Openweight Torsten Scheibler  Germany [15]
Heavyweight Takayuki Ichihara  Japan Kiyoseumi Takayuki
Middleweight Katsuo Yoshida  Japan
Lightweight Vitaliy Tikhenko  Ukraine
14th 2006 Japan Sakai Openweight Alan Gabaraev  Russia Aran Hakutora [16]
Heavyweight Byambajav Ulambayar  Mongolia Daishōchi Kenta
(ex-professional sumo wrestler)
Middleweight Katsuo Yoshida  Japan
Lightweight Takaharu Nagasawa  Japan
15th 2007 Thailand Chiang Mai Openweight Alan Karaev  Russia [17]
Heavyweight Byambajav Ulambayar  Mongolia Daishōchi Kenta
Middleweight Katsuo Yoshida  Japan
Lightweight Sándor Bárdosi  Hungary
16th 2008 Estonia Rakvere Openweight Naranbat Gankhuyag  Mongolia Maenoyū Tarō
(ex-professional sumo wrestler)		 [18]
Heavyweight Takashi Himeno  Japan
Middleweight Katsuo Yoshida  Japan
Lightweight Takashi Shimako  Japan
− 2009 Egypt Alexandria Cancelled due to the flu pandemic
17th 2010 Poland Warsaw Openweight Vasily Margiev  Russia [19]
Heavyweight Dezso Libor  Hungary
Middleweight Ryō Itō  Japan
Lightweight Stiliyan Georgiev  Bulgaria
− 2011 Egypt Alexandria Cancelled due to political instability
18th 2012 Hong Kong Wan Chai Openweight Naranbat Gankhuyag  Mongolia Maenoyū Tarō [20]
Heavyweight Alan Karaev  Russia
Middleweight Kostiantyn Iermakov  Ukraine
Lightweight Gantugs Rentsendorj  Mongolia
19th 2014 Taiwan Kaohsiung Openweight Turbold Baasansuren  Mongolia Mitoryū Takayuki [21]
Heavyweight Alan Karaev  Russia
Middleweight Kiyoyuki Noguchi  Japan
Lightweight Yūya Nakamura  Japan Enhō Akira
20th 2015 Japan Osaka Openweight Sōichirō Kurokawa  Japan [22]
Heavyweight Ryōta Oyanagi  Japan Yutakayama Ryōta
Middleweight Atsamaz Kaziev  Russia
Lightweight Yūya Nakamura  Japan Enhō Akira
21st 2016 Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Openweight Turbold Baasansuren  Mongolia Mitoryū Takayuki
Heavyweight Vasilii Margiev  Russia
Middleweight Hayato Miwa  Japan
Lightweight Batyr Altyev  Russia
22nd 2018 Taiwan Taoyuan Openweight Vasilii Margiev  Russia
Heavyweight Vasilii Margiev  Russia
Middleweight Badral Baasandorj  Mongolia
Lightweight Sviatoslav Semykras  Ukraine
23rd 2019 Japan Osaka Openweight Batsuuri Namsraijav  Mongolia
Heavyweight Atsushi Igarashi  Japan
Light Heavyweight Konstantin Abdula-Zade  Russia
Middleweight Badral Baasandorj  Mongolia
Lightweight Sviatoslav Semykras  Ukraine

Men's Team competition

Year 1st place 2nd place 3rd 3rd
1992  Japan  United States  Mongolia  France
1993  Japan  United States  Mongolia  Russia
1994  Japan  United States  Brazil  Mongolia
1995  Japan  Mongolia  Brazil  United States
1996  Japan  Mongolia  Finland  Germany
1997  Japan  Finland  United States  Estonia
1998  Japan  United States  Germany  Poland
1999  Mongolia  Mongolia  Mongolia  Mongolia
2000  Mongolia  Mongolia  Mongolia  Mongolia
2001  Mongolia  Mongolia  Mongolia  Mongolia
2002  Mongolia  Mongolia  Mongolia  Mongolia
2004  Mongolia  Bulgaria  Germany  Hungary
2005  Mongolia  Bulgaria  Russia  Norway
2006  Mongolia  Japan  Mongolia  Poland
2007  Mongolia  Japan  Ukraine  Mongolia
2008  Russia  Japan  Poland  Mongolia
2010  Japan  Russia  Ukraine  Mongolia
2012  Mongolia  Russia  Ukraine  Mongolia
2014  Mongolia  Russia  Ukraine  Mongolia
2015  Russia  Mongolia  Georgia  Japan
2016  Russia  Mongolia  Ukraine  Japan
2018  Japan  Russia  Poland  Ukraine
2019  Mongolia  Japan  Egypt  Ukraine

Women's Individual competition

  Year Host Weight class Winner Country ref
1st 2001 Japan Aomori Openweight Sandra Köppen  Germany [23]
Heavyweight Veronika Kozlovskaya  Belarus
Middleweight Satomi Ishigaya  Japan
Lightweight Lene Aanes  Germany
2nd 2002 Poland Kraków Openweight Rie Tsuihiji  Japan [24]
Heavyweight Olesya Kovalenko  Russia
Middleweight Edyta Witkowska  Poland
Lightweight Satomi Ishigaya  Japan
− 2003 Hong Kong Cancelled due to the SARS outbreak.
3rd 2004 Germany Riesa Openweight Sandra Köppen  Germany [25]
Heavyweight Fernanda Pereira da Costa  Brazil
Middleweight Svetlana Panteleeva  Russia
Lightweight Alina Boykova  Ukraine
4th 2005 Japan Osaka Openweight Ekaterina Keyb  Russia [26]
Heavyweight Sandra Köppen  Germany
Middleweight Svetlana Panteleeva  Russia
Lightweight Satomi Ishigaya  Japan
5th 2006 Japan Sakai Openweight Anna Zhigalova  Russia [27]
Heavyweight Olesya Kovalenko  Russia
Middleweight Svetlana Panteleeva  Russia
Lightweight Alina Boykova  Ukraine
6th 2007 Thailand Chiang Mai Openweight Ekaterina Keyb  Russia [28]
Heavyweight Olesya Kovalenko  Russia
Middleweight Asano Matsuura  Japan
Lightweight Nelli Vorobyeva  Russia
7th 2008 Estonia Rakvere Openweight Anna Zhigalova  Russia [29]
Heavyweight Olga Davydko  Ukraine
Middleweight Maryna Pryshchepa  Ukraine
Lightweight Nelli Vorobyeva  Russia
− 2009 Egypt Alexandria Cancelled due to the flu pandemic
8th 2010 Poland Warsaw Openweight Sylwia Krzemien  Poland [30]
Heavyweight Anna Zhigalova  Russia
Middleweight Dulmaa Yadmaa  Mongolia
Lightweight Alina Boykova  Ukraine
− 2011 Egypt Alexandria Cancelled due to political instability
9th 2012 Hong Kong Wan Chai Openweight Yuka Ueta  Japan [31]
Heavyweight Anna Zhigalova  Russia
Middleweight Svetlana Panteleeva  Russia
Lightweight Alina Boykova  Ukraine
10th 2014 Taiwan Kaohsiung Openweight Anna Zhigalova  Russia [32]
Heavyweight Mariia Drboian  Ukraine
Middleweight Anna Aleksandrova  Russia
Lightweight Vera Koval  Russia
11th 2015 Japan Osaka Openweight Anna Zhigalova  Russia [33]
Heavyweight Sunjidmaa Khishigdorj  Mongolia
Middleweight Maryna Maksymenko  Ukraine
Lightweight Daria Ibragimova  Russia
12th 2016 Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Openweight Anna Poliakova (nee Zhigalova)  Russia
Heavyweight Sunjidmaa Khishigdorj  Mongolia
Middleweight Maryna Maksymenko  Ukraine
Lightweight Alina Boykova  Ukraine
13th 2018 Taiwan Taoyuan Openweight Anna Poliakova  Russia
Heavyweight Olga Davydko  Russia
Middleweight Anna Aleksandrova  Russia
Lightweight Vera Koval  Russia
14th 2019 Japan Osaka Openweight Svitlana Yaromka  Ukraine
Heavyweight Anna Poliakova  Russia
Light Heavyweight Maryna Maksymenko  Ukraine
Middleweight Magda Katarzyna Skrajnowska  Poland
Lightweight Alina Duzhenko  Ukraine

Women's Team competition

Year 1st place 2nd place 3rd 3rd
2001  Mongolia  Mongolia  Japan  Russia
2002  Mongolia  Germany  Mongolia  Brazil
2004  Germany  Russia  Japan  Brazil
2005  Mongolia  Mongolia  Hungary  Ukraine
2006  Mongolia  Ukraine  Mongolia  Japan
2007  Russia  Ukraine  Japan  Netherlands
2008  Russia  Ukraine  Poland  Japan
2010  Japan  Mongolia  Brazil  Russia
2012  Russia  Ukraine  Poland  Japan
2014  Mongolia  Ukraine  Chinese Taipei  Japan
2015  Ukraine  Japan  Russia  Mongolia
2016  Russia  Mongolia  Japan  Ukraine
2018  Russia  Japan  Thailand  Ukraine
2019  Russia  Japan  Thailand  Ukraine

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Gunning, John (26 February 2020). "Calling off Spring Basho would be right move for JSA". The Japan Times. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  2. ^ Gunning, John (26 October 2022). "Tokyo takes over as host of 2023 Sumo World Championships". Japan Times. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  3. ^ "1st Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  4. ^ "2nd Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  5. ^ "3rd Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  6. ^ "4th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  7. ^ "5th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  8. ^ "6th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  9. ^ "7th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  10. ^ "8th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  11. ^ "9th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  12. ^ "10th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  13. ^ "11th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  14. ^ "12th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  15. ^ "13th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  16. ^ "14th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  17. ^ "15th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  18. ^ "16th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  19. ^ "17th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 12 Nov 2012.
  20. ^ "18th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  21. ^ "19th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 13 Nov 2014.
  22. ^ "20th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  23. ^ "1st Women's Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  24. ^ "2nd Women's Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  25. ^ "3rd Women's Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  26. ^ "4th Women's Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  27. ^ "5th Women's Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  28. ^ "6th Women's Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  29. ^ "7th Women's Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  30. ^ "8th Women's Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  31. ^ "9th Women's Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  32. ^ "10th Women's Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 13 Nov 2014.
  33. ^ "11th Sumo World Championships Results" (PDF). Retrieved 4 August 2016.
Categories