 His first championship came in his 31st tournament as an "ōzeki", longer than any other "ōzeki" since the Shōwa era began in 1926.He defeated "yokozuna" Hakuhō on Day 15 to conclude the tournament with a 14–1 record.Having won his first tournament in January 2017, combined with his overall 2016 record (including four runner-up finishes), Kisenosato was considered for promotion to the "yokozuna" rank.