Sumo World Championships

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, was rescheduled to 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	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	Riesa	Openweight	Levan Ebanoidze	Georgia		^[10]
			Heavyweight	Takahisa Osanai	Japan
			Middleweight	Hideto Tsushima	Japan
			Lightweight	Svetoslav Binev	Bulgaria
9th	2000	São Paulo	Openweight	Tōru Kakizoe	Japan	Kakizoe Tōru	^[11]
			Heavyweight	Takahisa Osanai	Japan
			Middleweight	Aias Mongouch	Russia
			Lightweight	Peer Schmidt-Düwiger	Germany
10th	2001	Aomori	Openweight	Torsten Scheibler	Germany		^[12]
			Heavyweight	Robert Paczków	Poland
			Middleweight	Aias Mongouch	Russia
			Lightweight	Chōhei Kimura	Japan
11th	2002	Kraków	Openweight	Alan Karaev	Russia		^[13]
			Heavyweight	Robert Paczków	Poland
			Middleweight	David Tsallagov	Russia
			Lightweight	Claudio Ikemori	Brazil
−	2003	Hong Kong	Cancelled due to the SARS outbreak.
12th	2004	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	Osaka	Openweight	Torsten Scheibler	Germany		^[15]
			Heavyweight	Takayuki Ichihara	Japan	Kiyoseumi Takayuki
			Middleweight	Katsuo Yoshida	Japan
			Lightweight	Vitaliy Tikhenko	Ukraine
14th	2006	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	Chiang Mai	Openweight	Alan Karaev	Russia		^[17]
			Heavyweight	Byambajav Ulambayar	Mongolia	Daishōchi Kenta
			Middleweight	Katsuo Yoshida	Japan
			Lightweight	Sándor Bárdosi	Hungary
16th	2008	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	Alexandria	Cancelled due to the flu pandemic
17th	2010	Warsaw	Openweight	Vasily Margiev	Russia		^[19]
			Heavyweight	Dezso Libor	Hungary
			Middleweight	Ryō Itō	Japan
			Lightweight	Stiliyan Georgiev	Bulgaria
−	2011	Alexandria	Cancelled due to political instability
18th	2012	Wan Chai	Openweight	Naranbat Gankhuyag	Mongolia	Maenoyū Tarō	^[20]
			Heavyweight	Alan Karaev	Russia
			Middleweight	Kostiantyn Iermakov	Ukraine
			Lightweight	Gantugs Rentsendorj	Mongolia
19th	2014	Kaohsiung	Openweight	Turbold Baasansuren	Mongolia	Mitoryū Takayuki	^[21]
			Heavyweight	Alan Karaev	Russia
			Middleweight	Kiyoyuki Noguchi	Japan
			Lightweight	Yūya Nakamura	Japan	Enhō Akira
20th	2015	Osaka	Openweight	Sōichirō Kurokawa	Japan		^[22]
			Heavyweight	Ryōta Oyanagi	Japan	Yutakayama Ryōta
			Middleweight	Atsamaz Kaziev	Russia
			Lightweight	Yūya Nakamura	Japan	Enhō Akira
21st	2016	Ulaanbaatar	Openweight	Turbold Baasansuren	Mongolia	Mitoryū Takayuki
			Heavyweight	Vasilii Margiev	Russia
			Middleweight	Hayato Miwa	Japan
			Lightweight	Batyr Altyev	Russia
22nd	2018	Taoyuan	Openweight	Vasilii Margiev	Russia
			Heavyweight	Vasilii Margiev	Russia
			Middleweight	Badral Baasandorj	Mongolia
			Lightweight	Sviatoslav Semykras	Ukraine
23rd	2019	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	Aomori	Openweight	Sandra Köppen	Germany	^[23]
			Heavyweight	Veronika Kozlovskaya	Belarus
			Middleweight	Satomi Ishigaya	Japan
			Lightweight	Lene Aanes	Germany
2nd	2002	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	Riesa	Openweight	Sandra Köppen	Germany	^[25]
			Heavyweight	Fernanda Pereira da Costa	Brazil
			Middleweight	Svetlana Panteleeva	Russia
			Lightweight	Alina Boykova	Ukraine
4th	2005	Osaka	Openweight	Ekaterina Keyb	Russia	^[26]
			Heavyweight	Sandra Köppen	Germany
			Middleweight	Svetlana Panteleeva	Russia
			Lightweight	Satomi Ishigaya	Japan
5th	2006	Sakai	Openweight	Anna Zhigalova	Russia	^[27]
			Heavyweight	Olesya Kovalenko	Russia
			Middleweight	Svetlana Panteleeva	Russia
			Lightweight	Alina Boykova	Ukraine
6th	2007	Chiang Mai	Openweight	Ekaterina Keyb	Russia	^[28]
			Heavyweight	Olesya Kovalenko	Russia
			Middleweight	Asano Matsuura	Japan
			Lightweight	Nelli Vorobyeva	Russia
7th	2008	Rakvere	Openweight	Anna Zhigalova	Russia	^[29]
			Heavyweight	Olga Davydko	Ukraine
			Middleweight	Maryna Pryshchepa	Ukraine
			Lightweight	Nelli Vorobyeva	Russia
−	2009	Alexandria	Cancelled due to the flu pandemic
8th	2010	Warsaw	Openweight	Sylwia Krzemien	Poland	^[30]
			Heavyweight	Anna Zhigalova	Russia
			Middleweight	Dulmaa Yadmaa	Mongolia
			Lightweight	Alina Boykova	Ukraine
−	2011	Alexandria	Cancelled due to political instability
9th	2012	Wan Chai	Openweight	Yuka Ueta	Japan	^[31]
			Heavyweight	Anna Zhigalova	Russia
			Middleweight	Svetlana Panteleeva	Russia
			Lightweight	Alina Boykova	Ukraine
10th	2014	Kaohsiung	Openweight	Anna Zhigalova	Russia	^[32]
			Heavyweight	Mariia Drboian	Ukraine
			Middleweight	Anna Aleksandrova	Russia
			Lightweight	Vera Koval	Russia
11th	2015	Osaka	Openweight	Anna Zhigalova	Russia	^[33]
			Heavyweight	Sunjidmaa Khishigdorj	Mongolia
			Middleweight	Maryna Maksymenko	Ukraine
			Lightweight	Daria Ibragimova	Russia
12th	2016	Ulaanbaatar	Openweight	Anna Poliakova (nee Zhigalova)	Russia
			Heavyweight	Sunjidmaa Khishigdorj	Mongolia
			Middleweight	Maryna Maksymenko	Ukraine
			Lightweight	Alina Boykova	Ukraine
13th	2018	Taoyuan	Openweight	Anna Poliakova	Russia
			Heavyweight	Olga Davydko	Russia
			Middleweight	Anna Aleksandrova	Russia
			Lightweight	Vera Koval	Russia
14th	2019	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

Notes

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

[jt0226-1] 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.

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