On day 2, the Yokozuna slipped when he was in the shitaku-beya. In his attempt to right himself, he re-injured himself “at the same place as I did in my bout with Endo two years ago”, the Yokozuna commented as he returned to his heya’s lodgings from the hospital.
The official doctor’s report is: “Damage to right-side patellar tendon, suspicion of avulsion fracture of the right tibial tuberosity. Requires two weeks of rest”.
Tachiai wishes the yokozuna good health and will continue to update if information turns up.
Source: Sponichi, Nikkan Sports
oh no!!! that’s not good at all
Oh man, how long until Hakuho starts getting attention from the YDC regarding his tournament attendance? Really surprised by this!
YDC would look like massive hypocrites if they put any pressure on Hak, given the Kisenosato situation.
But they can smugly tell him not to show up just to go kyujo in the middle, because they told Kisenosato the same.
From where I am sitting, they are in different situations. Kisenosato old injury, Hakuho fresh injury — from a locker room slip, of all things!
Nevertheless, it’s Hakuho’s fourth kyujo in one sumo year. There are bound to be wagging tongues, and he has already been suspected at taking a lot of kyujo to get himself to 2020 “artificially”.
Very late call. Hakuho is already on the published schedule for day 5 against Ikioi. If they don’t reschedule that would that be two consecutive “fusen” losses which I don’t remember happening before.
Word from his annexed reporter/photographer is that he hurt his knee just before his Day 2 bout, and the pain has gradually increased. This morning he had to lean on his tsukebito to walk. He didn’t want to give up and tried getting treated for the pain just before leaving for the arena, but it didn’t work and he had to call in sick. As you say, this was at a very late stage.
They did reschedule the whole thing, apparently.
Oh no — and I thought he was looking pretty genki so far. Nagoya is just…can an entire basho be kind of weird and snakebitten? Because…
Google translate gives us “Suspected of right knee tendon injury rupture of right tibia nodule fracture”.
Well, it’s closer than usual.
I hope for him his body can last until 2020 like he wants to.
So Kaku and Tochi are looking at another potential victory. Let’s see who will come out on top this time.
Well, Kakuryu dropped one today. At this rate Tochinoshin could find himself as a surprise Yokozuna…
But it is all up to the fragile bones of a bunch of guys all of whom are past 32 – except Takayasu who is not in yusho form in any way.
I could see Tochinoshin with a white rope by the end of the year if he continues to perform at the level he has in the past couple of bashos. If he wins in Nagoya, that talk will definitely rise to a dull roar.
It’s sure looking a lot more plausible than it did even two months ago — he’s clearly not struggling with the lifestyle changes of Ozeki-dom, and so far this basho he’s exhibiting some nifty range of techniques beyond his usual preferred grip. It’s intelligent sumo and clearly it’s working out so far.
The medical sites say that the tendon should take six weeks of rest, and the cartilage fracture should be 4 weeks in a straight knee leg cast. It’s just like sumo to call it two weeks of light duty.
Hard to imagine (to this western mind) that the YDC gets worked up about this, but who knows….
I find it disturbing that he hurt himself that badly not even in a match. Genkiness must be in a fairly fragile state.
I wonder, in the context of the flexibility post I wrote yesterday, if he hasn’t been slacking off in that respect. The description of the incident – slipped, tried to right himself, pulled a tendon – hints at a flexibility issue.
I would not be surprised. My knees are far from genki and I have observed that the ability to balance ha s a lot to do with flexible knees. That being said, Haku is so focused and serious about his Sumo. I hope it is something that can be remedied with a change in training rather than age-related inevitability.
Huh. Maybe they shouldn’t de-topknot Harumafuji. If Tochinoshin has a slip, things are pretty odd on the dohyo. Juryo yokozuna anyone?
Heh. You can’t be a Yokozuna without being an Ozeki first. Anyway, Harumafuji is no longer a member of the NSK. Water under the bridge. Deal done.