2024-04-11 20:56:13
Japan mourns death of sumo icon Akebo. The native of the Hawaiian Islands, who became the first foreigner to win the highest yokozuna championship title, died at the age of 54 due to heart failure. The family representatives informed today about the death of the 203 cm tall wrestler, which happened already at the beginning of April.
“It is with great sadness that we announce that Akebobo Taró died of heart failure earlier this month while hospitalized in Tokyo,” the family said in a statement released by Hawaii Governor Josh Green’s office.
Akebono made an indelible mark on the world’s consciousness with his performance at the opening ceremony of the Nagano Winter Olympics. Dressed in traditional clothing from the waist up, naked in freezing temperatures, he performed a ritual called dohjó-iri, which is performed in sumo to propitiate the gods and ward off the devil’s spirit at the same time during one of the climax numbers.
Akebono, whose real name is Chadwick Haheo Rowan, began his sumo career in 1988 and retired due to knee problems in January 2001. He won the yokozuna title in 1993 as the 64th in the ranking and the first foreigner in history after winning four out of six biggest tournaments of the season. Three years later, he also obtained Japanese citizenship. At the peak of his career, the more than two-meter giant weighed up to 230 kilograms.