There is big news for Day Eight, as Chiyomaru has officially gone Kyujo because of a high fever. One of the measures instituted before the basho was that each rikishi, in every single division, would get a temperature check every day. (They were actually scanning everyone with an infrared thermometer on entrance to the building.) If any rikishi had a temperature above a certain level, they would automatically be kyujo, no questions asked.
Chiyomaru appears to be the first to have this happen, although admittedly lower-level kyujos are not announced with as much explanation. This does not mean he has COVID-19, or even necessarily the flu. People can just get high temperatures occasionally, and this is the first basho where that's being checked. Yet in the midst of a global pandemic, the working assumption probably needs to be he could have the novel coronavirus. He must be tested.
And if the test comes back positive, the entire basho is getting shut down. Sumo has been a nice way to think about something other than the spread of COVID-19. Yet sumo wrestlers and officials, being human beings, can get and spread the virus. That's how it works. I'd rather have sumo continue, but I'd also rather the Japan Sumo Association take the precaution to avoid worsening the disease's impact.
Coming back to the basho, this was always under the threat of being finished prematurely, with little warning. Presumably, the leader at the moment of the stoppage is the yusho winner. (Who knows what would happen if there's a tie at the top of the leaderboard.) These recaps will now display where the yusho race stands each day, rather than focus on individual matches.
The leader is Hakuho, who remains undefeated. The two rikishi one back are lower on the banzuke, Takanosho and Aoiyama. Among the 6 win group, Kakuryu, Asanoyama, and Mitakeumi are all in position to make noise. Mitakeumi did lose to both Yokozuna, but he's also faced the top five ranked rikishi and should have an easier week two schedule.
8 wins
Y1e Hakuho
7 wins
M9e Takanosho
M13w Aoiyama
6 wins
Y1wYO Kakuryu
S1e Asanoyama
M3w Mitakeumi
M11e Chiyotairyu
M12e Ishiura
M18e Kotonowaka
5 wins
O1e Takakeisho
M1e Daieisho
M5w Onosho
M6w Kagayaki
M7e Takarafuji
M12w Ikioi
M15w Chiyomaru
4 wins
S1w Shodai
K1w Endo
M2e Okinoumi
M4w Abi
M5e Ryuden
M8w Kiribayama
M11w Terutsuyoshi
M13e Kotoshogiku
M14e Kaisei
M16e Azumaryu
M16w Shimanoumi
3 wins
M3e Yutakayama
M4e Enho
M9w Tochinoshin
M10e Sadanoumi
M17e Meisei
M17w Daiamami
2 wins
K1e Hokutofuji
M7w Tamawashi
M8e Shohozan
1 wins
M2w Tokushoryu
M6e Myogiryu
M14w Nishikigi
M15e Tsurugisho
0 wins
M1w Takayasu
M10w Tochiozan
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