Newly promoted Grand Champion Yoshibayama grins widely as he is showered with congratulations.
    Ozeki-ranking 340 pound sumo wrestler Yoshibayama who copped the recent New Year's Grand Sumo Tournament championship with a record of 15 straight wins was formally elevated to the Yokozuna (Grand Champion) rank by the unanimous vote of the Grand Champion Selection Council that convened Thursday morning at the Kuramae restaurant Sumo in Tokyo.
    He is the 43rd performer to have been honored with the Yokozuna-rank in the history of the Japanese sport.
    Overcome with joy on receiving word of his promotion at his Takayama training quarters, Yoshibayama could only say, “I really don't know what to say.”