In the month he turned 24 years of age, Yokozuna Hakuho Sho will leave the city of Osaka, site of the March Haru Basho, an Emperor's Cup winner for the 10th time.
Already two ahead of fellow yokozuna Asashoryu Akinori at a comparable age, Hakuho is now on track to finish in the top five all-time yusho winners if he remains relatively injury free and can keep going until around his 30th birthday. If his career goes beyond that age, there looks to be little on the horizon preventing him one day surpassing the 32 titles claimed by former yokozuna Taiho Koki, darling of the sport through much of the 1960s.
At present, looking at the age factor, in the sport's elite just Takanohana (14 by the time he was 24), and Taiho (13 by the same time) outshine the young man from Ulan Bator. Even Kitanoumi (eight at 24) and Chiyonofuji, a late starter who won his first championship just before his 26th birthday, both legends in the modern game, rank behind Hakuho.
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