A 23-year-old Hawaiian colossus today broke an ancient tradition by becoming the first foreign grand champion of sumo - reaching the sport's pinnacle faster than any Japanese ever had.
Chad Rowan was unanimously recommended today by an advisory panel to the sport's ruling body, ending a long controversy over whether chauvinism and xenophobia would deny sumo's highest laurels to foreigners.To become a grand champion - or "yokozuna" - requires winning two consecutive tournaments or having a record deemed of equal worth.
Another Hawaiian, Salevaa Atisanoe, was denied the rank last year despite an impressive record and afterwards was quoted as blaming racism. But his record was easily outdone by Rowan.
The sumo star of the moment, who wrestles under the name Akebono (Sunrise), won his second straight 15-day tournament on Sunday.
"I had always thought of grand champions like gods," said the 455-pound Akebono, clad in a gray cotton kimono and wearing his hair in the traditional topknot. "I never thought I would be able to reach this."
According to legend, the first two sumo wrestlers were gods. The 6-foot-8 Akebono, who played college basketball in Hawaii, will officially become grand champion after a three-hour Shinto ceremony Saturday at Tokyo's Meiji Shrine.
Akebono's successes and soft-spoken manner have won over most of the critics.
"He is awesome," sumo's head official, former grand champion Dewanoumi, said after watching the Honolulu native take only two seconds to bull popular Japanese rival Takahanada out of the ring Sunday.