Kotooshu Katsunori
| Kotoōshū Katsunori | |
|---|---|
| 琴欧洲 勝紀 | |
 |
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| Personal information | |
| Born | Kaloyan Stefanov Mahlyanov February 19, 1983 Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria |
| Height | 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) |
| Weight | 153 kg (337 lb; 24.1 st) |
| Web presence | website |
| Career | |
| Stable | Sadogatake |
| Record | 537-337-63 |
| Debut | November, 2002 |
| Highest rank | Ōzeki (January, 2006) |
| Retired | March, 2014 |
| Championships | 1 (Makuuchi) 1 (Jūryō) 1 (Makushita) 1 (Jonokuchi) |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (2) Fighting Spirit (3) |
| * Up to date as of Jan 20, 2015. | |
Kotoōshū Katsunori (琴欧洲 勝紀) (legal name: Karoyan Andō, born February 19, 1983 as Kaloyan Stefanov Mahlyanov, Bulgarian: Калоян Стефанов Махлянов, in Dzhulyunitsa, Veliko Tarnovo Province, Bulgaria) is a former professional sumo wrestler or rikishi. He made his debut in 2002, reaching the top division just two years later. In 2005 he reached the rank of ōzeki or 'champion', the second-highest level in the sumo ranking system behind only yokozuna. On May 24, 2008, Kotoōshū made history by becoming the first European sumo wrestler to win an Emperor's Cup. He was one of the longest serving ōzeki in sumo history, holding the rank for 47 consecutive tournaments until November 2013. In January 2014 Kotoōshū obtained Japanese citizenship, a requirement of becoming an elder in the Japan Sumo Association, and he announced his retirement during the following tournament in March.
He was originally a Greco-Roman wrestler, coached by his father, and by the age of 14 he had already won a European championship. He was accepted by the Bulgarian National Sports Academy where he majored in wrestling. He hoped to compete for Bulgaria in the 2000 Olympic Games, but as his weight increased beyond the 120 kg upper limit, he switched instead to sumo. He was recruited by Sadogatake stable, whose stablemaster was impressed by his filial duty of sending money home to his parents.
Mahlyanov's professional sumo debut was in November 2002, starting in the lowest-ranked jonokuchi division. He was given the shikona of Kotoōshū, derived from his place of origin — koto, shared by all wrestlers at his stable, and ōshū, meaning Europe. (Following the September 2006 tournament, he changed one of the characters in his ring name, 州 becoming 洲, although the pronunciation, shū, is the same for both.) He posted kachikoshi (winning records in tournaments) throughout his early career, going 71-15 in the five divisions below the makuuchi top division. He reached makuuchi in September 2004, only 11 tournaments after his professional debut, the fastest rise since the introduction of the six tournaments per year system in 1958.
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